


Watching Me (Watching You)

by orphan_account



Category: EXO (Band), KaiSoo - Fandom
Genre: Alpha Kim Jongin | Kai, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, M/M, Omega Do Kyungsoo | D.O, Secret Relationship, Soulmates, Wolf AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-05-16 07:44:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14807174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jongin and Kyungsoo are forced enemies by their packs, even though Kyungsoo doesn't think he would like Jongin either way. That is, until he and Jongin make a connection that there is no way out of. Now he has much bigger problems.





	1. chapter 1

Judging how things were going at the moment Kyungsoo was pretty sure it was going to be one of _those_ days. It wasn’t even eight in the morning yet and he was already kneeling on the hard wooden floor in his father’s study, his neck painfully twisted backwards by the firm grip in his hair. He could feel the alpha’s power spiking through the room, causing his vision to swim.

This wasn’t exactly his favorite way to start his day.

Kyungsoo wished he was just get on with it already, at this rate he was going to be late for school, but he knew there wasn’t a chance of that happening. One thing he knew about his father was that when it came to discipline he liked to take his time.

Kyungsoo held his breath, trying to subtly shift and take some of the pressure off of his aching knees without actually moving, his mind quickly shuffling through things he might have done to have gotten summoned for one of these _little talks_ this morning.

But it didn’t really matter. He already knew. The reason was always the same.  

It was always because of Kim Jongin.

Before Jongin barged into his life he had been invisible to his father, only speaking to him when absolutely necessary. Most of the time, Kyungsoo assumed he forgot he was even there, and that was exactly the way he liked it.

Kyungsoo was the second son of Do Jihoo, head alpha of the pack. Many thought of the alpha as a ruthless leader, running the pack almost like a crime syndicate, using force whenever necessary to maintain his status or gain territory or resources for their group.

His older brother was exactly the same, only interested in what he could get and who he could get it from, and the how was never an issue. They had always given themselves more over to their feral nature and it paid off for the pack, although sometimes with a heavy price.

It became obvious early on that Kyungsoo wasn’t going to be like any of them. He was more sympathetic than aggressive. Where they had sharp features and large, hulking frames Kyungsoo had been smaller, softer, with bright eyes that were curious instead of calculating. It came as no surprise to anyone when Kyungsoo developed into an omega, the lowest position in the pack.

His father didn’t have any use for him after that, and it hadn’t taken him long to fade into the background. Kyungsoo considered himself lucky that he was born this way. It made it so that he was able to live freely, nothing expected from him except school and the occasional appearance at a dinner when someone important came over.

Everything had been going so well, and then Jongin had to come and ruin it all.

Kyungsoo should have figured it was all a matter of time, anyway. They weren't the only pack in the city, after all.

Kim Jongdae, the head alpha of the Kim Clan, had been his father’s rival for as long as Kyungsoo had been alive. In the earlier days, when they were both trying to carve out a place for themselves in the city, things had been much more violent. They fought hard to take each other out while their connections and wealth grew. Neither of them had wanted to share. They wanted it all.

It hadn’t worked, of course. Even back then, they had been equal and their war did nothing but add up losses on both sides, both in money and lives. It seemed destined that they were both going to either survive or perish, but whichever one they would do it together.

They decided to survive. In the end, they came to an agreement, one that allowed them to coexist safely as long as they both stayed within the territory boundaries they worked out to separate them. There were still a lot of gray areas where both packs did business and could come and go without too much trouble, but for the most part separation was maintained. It had worked in the larger cities where four to five packs shared an area, it worked for them as well.

That didn’t mean they didn’t try and still one up each other, but now their methods were more of acts of pettiness than of danger. And this was why, Kyungsoo assumed, Kim Jongdae had put his oldest son, Jongin, in the same private school as Kyungsoo at the beginning of his eleventh-grade year. Before that, Kyungsoo had no idea where Jongin had been going, theirs being the only private school in the city. It was custom for the higher ranking, richer members of both packs to send their children there. They figured it was safer to have their offspring mingling with the enemy than it was the poor and lower ranks.

He had even arranged it so that they were in the same grade, even though Jongin had been a year younger, sending a clear message. It was a challenge. And suddenly, Kyungsoo’s father had found a use for him after all. If Kim Jongdae wanted to see whose son was the best, Kyungsoo was going to show them.

That’s when things started going downhill for Kyungsoo, fast. If there was one thing he was not, it was the best at anything. He wasn’t bad in school, he just didn’t have the ambition or the memory to pull off something like that. But what he did have, he remembered as the fingers in his hair tightened further threatening to pull out the thick strands, was _motivation_.

“I spoke to your teacher last night, Kyungsoo.”  He started, his concerned tone in complete opposition to their position. He finally released Kyungsoo with a jerk, circling around to stand before him. “He was concerned because you’ve fallen behind. _Again_. But what I can’t seem to understand is why Kim Jongin’s scores could possibly be higher than yours. Why would that be, Kyungsoo?”

 _Probably because he doesn’t suck at math,_ Kyungsoo wanted to reply, but kept his lips firmly shut. This wasn’t a question that wanted an answer. Through the years growing up in this house, he had seen people in this same position on his father’s floor, and most of them hadn’t come out of this room walking on their own. He couldn’t help but to wonder if one time his father was finally going to realize that Kyungsoo was never going to be what he wanted and lose control on him the same way. The fact that Kyungsoo was his son wouldn’t matter to him if he was embarrassing him.

While Kim Jongdae always said that their strength was in family and loyalty, Do Jihoo always said his strength was in strength, and never failed to use it when he felt it would advantage him in any way. Kyungsoo knew he was quickly falling into that category. He just had to make it until graduation, or maybe just until his mate showed up, and then it wouldn’t matter what Kim Jongin was doing anymore. He would be free.

He just had to figure out how to make it until then.

 

“Where were you this morning?” Kyungsoo’s best friend, Sehun, slid up next to him in the narrow hallway, nudging him with his elbow. “Did you have a late night?”

Kyungsoo glanced over, shrugging. He knew Sehun could likely smell the sour scent of fear left on his clothes since he hadn’t had time to change, but he was always too nice to ask him about it directly.

Kyungsoo had been friends with Sehun since elementary school, before he knew better than to associate with alphas. Their friendship survived even after he figured that out, owing to the fact that Sehun wasn’t always trying to be a dominant asshole. Lucky for him he looked the part though, tall, handsome, and indifferent, so no one bothered him, and he and Kyungsoo mostly kept to themselves.

“Did I miss anything?” Kyungsoo asked, stopping in front of his locker. He leaned his forehead against the cold metal, closing his eyes. It had been a long day. He tried to make more of an effort to listen to his lessons, but all it had done was give him a headache.

Sehun leaned beside him, and Kyungsoo could hear him rustling around in his bag, “Not much. You can look at my notes.”

He nodded, pulling himself up and started turning the dial on his locker. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have to go talk to Principal Park about some extra credit. I’ll just meet you in the locker room.”

“Sure. But you don’t need any extra—Luhan! Where have you been?” Kyungsoo let out a sigh, relieved at the interruption. He really didn’t want to tell Sehun about the deal his father made with the principle to bring his average back up above Jongin’s. It was embarrassing that the alpha had that much power and this is what he chose to do with it.

He made a motion that he was leaving, waving Sehun away. The other wasn’t paying attention to him anymore anyway. It was always like that when his mate showed up, everything else disappeared.

Kyungsoo watched him move down the hallway, nodding along to the empty space beside him. He had never actually seen Sehun’s mate, the younger omega lived in China and was still in high school, like them, but it wasn’t an unusual occurrence for him to show up when they were hanging out.That’s how it was with mates, moving in and out of the consciousness of the person they were attached to, the bond so strong it was as if they were standing in the same room.

It was sporadic, uncontrollable. No one knew when and where the other person was going to appear, or for how long. It made keeping secrets between mates nearly impossible.

Kyungsoo hadn’t met his mate yet, and he wasn’t excited about the prospect _at all_. He was going to get stuck with an alpha, as an omega there was no question about that. And besides Sehun, he had never met an alpha that wasn’t a dick, and Sehun was already taken.

Most of the time, he wondered if there was really a mate for him out there at all. They were supposed to be your perfect other half, and he had no idea how someone was going to be able to pull that off. Kyungsoo knew the real truth that his mate was going to be from some far away country like Sehun’s was. There was no way in hell fate was going to set him up with any of these losers.

That didn’t happen very often, though. Usually the person already knew their mate and were dating them. And that was a lucky thing because a large amount of members of the pack were betas, lower ranked wolves that were there mostly for protection. They usually had menial jobs, and they couldn’t afford to bring someone in or travel to a far-off place, so if their mates were far away they could never actually meet in person.

In the rare cases that did happen, usually the person just settled, choosing another mateless member from within a pack to stave off loneliness. But it was still hard, knowing your partner would still be seeing their actual mate on a regular basis. It wasn’t like an ex that they could forget about after time had passed. It was for life.

The whole thing was bullshit in Kyungsoo’s opinion, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have to deal with it like everyone else. The only thing that made him even the least bit interested was the hope that maybe his mate lived somewhere he would actually want to go, and then he could get out of here for good.

 _But for now_ , he thought, stopping at the end of the hallway and eyeing the heavy glass doors that separated him from the main office, _let’s just make it through today._

 

Kyungsoo rushed into the locker room, weaving his way through benches and lockers to the back while trying to take off his shoes without tripping. He was late _again_.

He hadn’t expected his principle to ramble for twenty minutes on about what a disappointment he was and the importance of education before _finally_ handing him the extra credit assignment. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but think that sitting through that should be extra credit enough, especially now that he was going to have to run extra laps for being tardy.

He stopped abruptly after turning the corner to his locker to see the long, slender frame of Kim Jongin leaning against the wall, cell phone pressed to his ear. “It’s not my fault. I can’t do anything about that.” Kyungsoo could hear his low voice echo off the tiles in the empty room, the tone carrying its usual cold disinterest.

Kyungsoo took a step back, deciding that maybe he should probably just cut his losses and go home at this point. It was becoming obvious that the universe was against him today, and he didn’t know what Jongin was doing over here, but he also knew that he didn’t want to find out.

It was too late though, as he took another step Jongin’s head snapped up, his dark eyes freezing Kyungsoo in place.

He had never had an actual interaction with Jongin before, other than seeing each other in school. Or rather, Kyungsoo had seen Jongin, but he didn’t think the other had ever looked at him back. This was the first time, as far as he knew, that the other had given him any recognition at all.

Kyungsoo remembered when Jongin started at his school, he thought  differently then. It was probably because Jongin was so attractive, his sharp jaw and cheeks in contrast to his full mouth and sleepy eyes. Kyungsoo had allowed himself a few fantasies of how they would meet, letting himself believe that Jongin was in a position similar to his, so he would be the only person who could really understand how hard everything was. How hard it was for the both of them.

But that had only lasted for a week. During that time he had seen Jongin’s cousins cater to him while he gave them no recognition in return. He saw other students approach him to introduce themselves and he didn’t even spare them a glance. It became obvious that Jongin was just another alpha, and that had been enough to nip all of those other ideas in the bud.

But after a little while, Kyungsoo’s disinterest turned into anger. It seemed like Jongin had no idea about the situation he had put the other in by starting at his school. He was oblivious to all the work he had to put in to even stay close to Jongin’s scores, or all the shit he got when he didn’t. As much as Kyungsoo had to be aware of Jongin, it seemed Jongin didn’t know he existed at all. And that made him hate Jongin the most.

But now that he was pinned down by that black stare, his chest constricting as the heavy metallic scent of anger saturated the room, Kyungsoo realized that being ignored wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

“Yes, I understand.” Jongin murmured into the device before pulling it from his ear and pushing it into the back pocket of his jeans.

Jongin stood for a moment, regarding Kyungsoo silently, and he could feel Jongin’s power moving around him, the air constricting in his chest. “What did you do?” He bit the words out, his fingers clenching into fists as he stalked over to where Kyungsoo stood plastered against the wall.

Kyungsoo took a few breaths, trying to figure out what Jongin was so upset about. He couldn’t believe this was about what happened this morning, but at the same time there wasn’t really anything else it could be. “I don’t-It wasn’t my…- It was my father.” He finally stammered out, not sure what else to say. _But really_ , Kyungsoo thought it the back of his mind, _wasn’t that obvious_? What was Jongin really expecting? And since when did he even care?

Kyungsoo didn’t see the fist move at all, and it was mostly surprise when the felt the impact, pain following across his eye. He leaned down instinctively, covering the area and trying to grasp the fact that Jongin had _hit_ him.

Before he could get much further down that line of thought the alpha grabbed the front of his uniform, leveling his head with Kyungsoo’s. “What about that, Kyungsoo?” He whispered, a finger reaching up to tap the hand over his eye, “How are you going to tell your father that I beat you at something else? Show him how much weaker you are than me?”

Kyungsoo squeezed his eyes shut, his heart hammering in his chest. This was so unfair. If his brother had been trapped in here with Kim Jongin this kid would have his ass handed to him by now. Who did he think he was trying to come at Kyungsoo like this. He was an omega for Christ’s sake, not some alpha who got into locker room brawls.

“What’s going on in here.” Kyungsoo jerked his head up at the nasal voice, never in his life so happy to see Sehun. Jongin let go of him and he slid to the floor, landing on the cold tile.

“Nothing.” Jongin drawled, pulling himself up and to stare at the other.  Kyungsoo could feel the shifts of power moving across the space both from Sehun, who’s anger was growing, and from Jongin, who was trying to dominate the room.

It was getting stifling, and Kyungsoo couldn’t stop a low whine from escape as the scents in the room became overwhelming. Jongin looked down at him, a smirk playing on his lips at Kyungsoo’s obvious discomfort, before turning around to leave.

Sehun moved to stop him, a growl rumbling deep from his chest. Kyungsoo panicked, scrambling up to stop his best friend. He knew that Sehun’s instinct was demanding that he protect Kyungsoo, but he also knew it wouldn’t end well for him if he did.

Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around his friend, trying to push through the thick fear clogging his mind to focus on calming the other. Just as Alphas could focus their powers to control and paralyze others, omegas were the opposite, able to soothe aggression and alleviate tension. This was more to comfort their mates than to protect themselves, because most of the time no one would think about attacking an omega.

He was frustrated with himself for not thinking to use it _before_ he got hit, but Jongin had just muddled him so much for even being there in the first place. He could feel the tension ebbing from the body in his arms, and he finally released him with a shaky breath.

“Are you okay?” Kyungsoo asked, taking in his Sehun’s face. His eyes were still wild, but he was relieved to see them returned to their usual deep mahogany brown.

Sehun shook his head a few times, running a hand through his thick bleached hair before turning to ask, “What in the hell was that about?”

 

It was late when Kyungsoo finally slipped in the front door, pausing only to pull off his shoes in the front hall. He had been hiding out at Sehun’s for hours. After breaking down and telling his best friend everything that happened it seemed like they both needed a distraction. They had camped out in Sehun’s room, watching movies until it was late enough that everyone in his own house would likely be asleep. Most likely it wasn’t actually necessary, he hardly saw anyone in his house as it was, but with his eye still slightly swollen and bruised even after having it covered in ice the last few hours he wasn’t about to take any chances.

Their house was large, with four stories and a section built onto the back just for staff. It sat almost like a fortress, almost a mile beyond their gate, with guards lined up on each side at all hours. Kyungsoo was so used to them he barely noticed them anymore, and had always thought they were unnecessary, another part of the head alpha’s show of power. After what happened today though, Kyungsoo felt comforted with the group outside.

Kyungsoo sighed, slowly treading up the steps to the top floor. All he wanted to do was slip in between the covers and close his eyes, ready for anything that would end this horrible day.

When his hand twisted the knob, pushing back the door to his room Kyungsoo paused, feeling like something wasn’t quite right. He could feel a tug in his mind, as if there were a memory just on the edge waiting for him to retrieve it. The kind that wouldn’t let you think of anything else until you figured it out. Kyungsoo shook his head, flipping on the light switch.

As the soft yellow light hit the room his blood ran cold. On the edge of his bed sat Kim Jongin. He didn’t look the same as when he left Kyungsoo earlier in the locker room, like some arrogant teenager trying to start a fight with an omega. Now he looked _dangerous_.  The alpha was dressed completely in black, his face half-changed into his wolf form, contorted and feral. What scared Kyungsoo the most were his hands. There was dried blood caked over his fingers and under his elongated nails, and he assumed his clothing was hiding more of it.

His breath stopped short realizing that Jongin must have hurt someone, maybe even killed them. And now, he recognized with growing panic, Jongin was probably going to kill him too. His heart hammered in his chest, thudding loud in his ears as the truth became clear. He was going to die.

It occurred to him that he should be moving, and it felt like they were in the locker room all over again when he took a step back and Jongin’s neck snapped up, his red eyes looking straight at him. Instead of rage or anger like he expected, like he had seen before, Kyungsoo saw confusion followed by terror pass over Jongin’s face, almost like he hadn’t expected to see the other even though he had clearly broken into _his_ bedroom.

Jongin wiped his face with his sleeve, and Kyungsoo was surprised that he hadn’t noticed yet that the other’s face was covered in tears, adding even more confusion to the situation. He didn’t have much time to ponder what that could mean before Jongin suddenly shot up off the bed.

Kyungsoo had always thought of himself as a little brave, and that if the time ever came he would be able to fight for his life. But instead, he was paralyzed, unable to do anything but clamp his eyes shut and wait for the strike.

A second passed, and then two, but nothing happened. He let out a small sob, the stress and anticipation overwhelming everything else. Finally, Kyungsoo opened his eyes, blinking a few times to take in the empty room.

Jongin was gone.

Kyungsoo’s eyes swept the room, but there wasn’t any sign of the other or any indication that he had even been there at all.

His stomach lurched, overwhelmed from the stress of the past few seconds, and he grabbed the trash can beside the bed, emptying the contents of his stomach into the plastic container until there was nothing left. When he finished he could feel the energy seeping from his body, collapsing on the bed in the spot where Jongin had just been sitting. There was no warmth in the area, as though no one had been sitting there at all.

Suddenly Kyungsoo wished Kim Jongin really had been there to kill him. It would save his own father the trouble if he ever found out what had happened here, what was going to keep happening now that fate decided that it had some crazy grudge against Kyungsoo, because there was really only one explanation he could think of for everything that just happened.

Kim Jongin was his mate.

  


“God, You’re so weird today. Did something happen?” Kyungsoo jumped, startled by Sehun’s voice. He looked up, surprised to see that his friend had sat down at the table, his lunch spread out in front of him and a few bites already missing from his rice and grilled meat. He was more distracted than he thought.

“I’m just tired,” Kyungsoo sighed. It wasn’t untrue, he hadn’t slept at all the night before because he had been too busy freaking out.

“Fine, don’t tell me.” Sehun grumbled, pushing his chair back and standing up, “I’m gonna go get a drink. Do you want anything?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, guilt twisting in his stomach while he watched Sehun disappear into the crowd. But this wasn’t something he could confide, not even to his best friend. The consequences of either of their families finding out was too high. And Kyungsoo knew that between the two of them, he would be the target.

If his own father found out, he didn’t have any doubt that he would get rid of him in an instant. It was an alpha's right to do what he saw fit with his own pack, and if Kyungsoo became that big of a liability his father wouldn’t hesitate. It would be an embarrassment to have this connection to the pack he hated so much and too much of a danger to have the son of the enemy jumping in and out of their private space. As a bonus, his father would also assume he would be making Jongin suffer by losing a mate. Kyungsoo doubted that last part would happen, but he was pretty sure about the rest.

If Jongin’s father found out, he assumed the outcome would be the same. Jongin was his only son and an alpha, the only person to carry the bloodline, so it would still be Kyungsoo that would be taken out of the equation. The same as with his family, Jongin’s father wouldn’t allow Kyungsoo the freedom to secretly witness to whatever was happening in their pack, behind the scenes. He would have to go.

Either way he looked at it, he wasn’t going to walk out of this alive.

And then there was Jongin. The younger didn’t have any reason not to tell anyone, unless he was just too embarrassed. Kyungsoo wasn’t stupid enough to think that fate had put them together because Jongin actually _liked_ him, and he expected that Jongin knew that this was a mistake just as much as he did, so if he wanted to get rid of Kyungsoo, this would be an easiest route. And from what he saw yesterday, Jongin might want to do that.

He had planned to confront Jongin this morning, beg him to stay silent. He was willing to offer his class standing and anything else the other might want, even though he already knew there probably wasn’t anything.

When Kyungsoo saw Jongin however, the night before came rushing back, and all he could see was Jongin sitting on his bed looking as if he had just finished an attack. That was all it took for him to lose his courage, instead choosing to stay silent.

Unexpectedly, Jongin hadn’t acted like anything had happened _at all_ , and that was confusing him the most. Kyungsoo had been a wreck all morning, unable to keep his eyes off of Jongin during their shared classes, listening in to any conversation he had passed in case they were talking about them. But Jongin hadn’t even seemed to notice. He acted the same as usual, never once looking in Kyungsoo’s direction.

Kyungsoo looked over at him now, sitting at a table with his two cousins Minseok and Joonmyeon. They were both betas, one in Kyungsoo’s grade and one below. The smaller one with the baby face, Minseok, pulled out two sodas and handed one to the other beta, who accepted with a smile, and one to Jongin, who didn’t even bother to look up before opening the drink and taking a sip.

 _What a jackass_ , Kyungsoo fumed, looking back down at a table with a frown. There was no way he could be mated to that guy. It just didn’t make any sense. He was sure this whole thing _had_ to be some kind of mistake. Now he just had to figure how to fix it.

  


It had been two weeks, and Kyungsoo still trying to get the hang of seeing Jongin everywhere he went, especially in places he wasn’t supposed to be. He wondered how long it would take before this became normal. Right now, it felt surreal.

Denial had been short lived. For the first few days without any sign of Jongin lurking anywhere near him in person or his subconscious, Kyungsoo had been able to convince himself that maybe the whole thing had been a stress and carb-induced hallucination.

That had been until he had walked up to his fifth period history class, a familiar pull teasing the back of his mind and abruptly stopping him right outside the door. Sehun had been beside him as usual, wrapping a long arm around his shoulders to pull him through the door so that he would stop blocking the entrance, and he had immediately regretted not running when he still had the chance.

Jongin sat in the desk next to his, one that was already assigned to Lee Hyeri, who usually sat to his right when seating charts were assigned by last name. He hoped that what he knew was happening wasn’t real, and that maybe Jongin had just been transferred into this class late into the semester. He wasn’t surprised though, when Hyeri’s name was announced during roll call with no response and Jongin’s wasn’t called at all. It appeared the worst had truly happened after all.

Kyungsoo tried to watch the younger as discreetly as possible during the lesson. Jongin sat stiffly, focused on his sheet in front of him with an occasional glance to the front of the class. His hand moved quickly over the page to take notes, math as far as Kyungsoo could tell. He was surprised he could see paper, assuming the only thing that would be visible to him was the person itself. He had a lot to learn.

That gave Kyungsoo an idea, a way to test whether or not Jongin could see him back. The way the other had been so diligent in ignoring him had Kyungsoo paranoid that maybe this whole thing was one-sided, even if it seemed that he had seen Kyungsoo that night in his bedroom. But maybe it hadn’t been Kyungsoo he had been looking at, after all. It seemed reasonable that if they were going to pretend this whole thing wasn’t happening they would at least acknowledge it first, come to an agreement about it, and Jongin hadn’t given any hint that anything unusual was happening at all.

By now his curiosity was much stronger than his fear, and without warning he flung his hand out, letting go of his pencil so that it bounced across Jongin’s desk, landing on the floor on the other side. It happened in a second, the students around him glancing up while the teacher stopped his lecture, asking what happened. Kyungsoo apologized, and as the lesson continued a satisfied smile spread across his face.

Jongin flinched.

 

 

After school, Kyungsoo pulled himself up to one of the computer terminals in the public library, glancing to make sure no one was nearby before typing the word _Mates_ into the search bar. The place was empty at this time of day other than a few parents leading their kids around by the hand and an elderly man napping in one of the chairs by the window, perfect for clandestine internet searching. He was too afraid of looking this up even on his phone, not wanting it anywhere near his search history. When it came to leaving evidence behind he couldn’t be too careful.

The usual stuff popped up, general information about what happened between mates. Kyungsoo skimmed the page, taking in the basics, most of which he already knew. Once your mate appeared to you the connection was established, and the two people became permanently linked.

He focused on a section that explained the visions. From what was known, the mated pair could appear in front of one another at random times and locations, only visible to the person they were connected to. Most of the time the connections happened when the mates were in similar places, so the person fit seamlessly into the environment of their mate. Just as Kyungsoo had seen Jongin in his room, Jongin had seen everything the opposite way. No wonder the alpha had looked so alarmed, to him Kyungsoo had just walked directly into his bedroom while he was having his moment. He thought the whole thing would have been funny if it wasn’t happening to him.

But in the information about _what_ they knew about mates, there didn’t seem to be anything about the _how_ or _why_ and most important, how to make it stop. There were people who were trying of course. Advertisements for herbal remedies that claimed to make the visions stop, and research projects looking for both funding and volunteers to be permanently separated from their mates. Nothing that actually worked yet, though. As far as anyone knew, there was no way out.

There were multiple message boards, accounts of couples who had met under not so ideal circumstances and how they made it work. It was all typical stuff. A rich alpha who was mated to a poor omega, people who already had a special person that they thought they were going to be mated with, things that would all be easily solved without the threat of death hanging over anyone’s head. It seemed to Kyungsoo that distance was the only thing that couldn't be reconciled between mates if money was an issue. Everything else always seemed to work itself out, at least in these stories anyway.

 _Not this time_ , he thought bitterly before closing the page.

The search wasn’t totally a waste. One thing Kyungsoo found was multiple accounts of couples who were trying to avoid each other coming together in their wolf form, which he probably should have guessed. Their wolf side wasn’t concerned with reasons and didn’t need to think things through and make decisions, it just needed to follow its instincts and act.

There would be a full moon in another week, and he and his pack would run in the forest that bordered the city on their side of the territory like they did every month. What if instead he ran over to the other side of the city, his drive to see Jongin outweighing all sense of self-preservation. Or worse, what if Jongin came to him? Kyungsoo shook his head, that seemed unlikely, but him losing control wasn’t totally impossible. He would just have to sit out changing for a couple of months until he got a hold on himself. It would be uncomfortable, but not undoable.

And of course, there was the problem of his heat. Luckily, those only happened a few times a year, and he already had one in the last few months, so he assumed he would be safe for a while. He would just worry about it when the time came, he decided, slipping out of the plastic chair and pulling his bag over his shoulders. If he made it that long.

 

When Kyungsoo walked into his bedroom later that night Jongin was already there, working at his desk. He looked younger, dressed in red flannel pajamas, his hair slightly damp and hanging messy in his face, which was concentrated whatever he was writing on the paper in front of him.

Kyungsoo had promised himself that he wasn’t going to look at Jongin anymore, but it was hard when they were alone like this, and especially when Jongin looked like _that_. For a moment, he wondered what things would have been like if they had belonged to the same pack. Would he be worth Jongin’s notice then? He shook his head, trying to clear that line of thought.

He supposed he was lucky that so far Jongin had been keeping their connection a secret. Alphas were well known for their strong sense of duty and responsibility, and especially their loyalty, so the fact that he hadn’t turned him over to his pack was honestly a surprise. He knew he should have been more grateful but being constantly ignored just grated on his nerves.

Especially when Jongin was sitting in his seat. Where was he supposed to do his homework if the other was taking up all the space? If Jongin was going to pop into his room like this, he should at least stay out of the way.

Kyungsoo inched over to the desk towards his book bag, which was lying next to Jongin’s feet. He figured that he could spread out on the bed until the other disappeared. It seemed like Jongin never stayed that long anyway.

When he got closer, he saw that Jongin was doing his physics homework. Kyungsoo shared that class with Jongin, and it was one of his least favorites due to all the confusing equations that he couldn’t seem to get the hang of.

Jongin didn’t seem to have any trouble with it he noticed, looking at the neatly written numbers and letters down the page. He propped his bag on the table, pulled out his notebook and flipped to the page where he started this assignment during study hall and began comparing their answers.

Jongin had a different answer than his on the second question, and after looking over the other’s math, he recognized where he made his error. Still hovering in the spot next to the other, he pulled out a pencil and started erasing his mistake.

In an instant, Jongin’s hand stopped moving, the pencil still on the page. He had been working on the next to the last problem, and as far as Kyungsoo could see he had just started it. Instead of finishing, the younger picked up the paper and put it into the middle of the textbook, closing it with a dull thump.

Kyungsoo stood next to him, his hand poised over his own sheet watching curiously before Jongin reached down and pulled out a different textbook from somewhere Kyungsoo couldn’t see. Calculus. A class they didn’t take together due to Kyungsoo’s constant struggle with math. He flipped open the book casually, as though he hadn’t just been in the middle of doing something else.

But Kyungsoo knew better, and with a grin he took his bag and paper and moved over to lay on his bed. He couldn’t deny the feeling of satisfaction blooming inside his stomach, causing a slight flutter in his chest. Kim Jongin had noticed him, had just changed what he was doing because of him, and for some reason he liked that much more than he should.

 

“I thought I was gonna be in trouble because the teacher walked in but—” Sehun stopped talking, looking over at his friend while they jogged slowly down the track. Kyungsoo looked back, confused about why the other stopped. “Are you even listening? I swear you have been so weird lately.” He grumbled, pursing his lips.

“I am listening,” Kyungsoo defended, nervous because he had no idea what his friend had been saying if he was pressed. He sighed, looking down before admitting, “I’m sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my mind. If you start over I promise I’ll pay attention.”

Sehun didn’t say anything, keeping his eyes straight ahead while Kyungsoo wallowed in guilt. He was such a shitty friend. “I really am sorry.” He tried again, nudging Sehun with his elbow, but the alpha continued to ignore him.

It was clear he couldn't keep this up anymore. He was going to have to tell Sehun somewhat of what was going on. He would eventually have to come up with a mate story to tell everyone anyway, it’s not like he could really go his whole life pretending it hadn’t happened yet. And besides, he could really use some advice.

“It’s because I met my mate.” He finally blurted out, feeling the weight of the words settle over him. Somehow saying it out loud to someone else made it feel a lot more real.

Sehun’s face lit up, and he reached out to tackle his friend in a hug, his weight nearly knocking Kyungsoo to the ground. “Congratulations.” He said after pulling away. “So that’s what’s been happening? Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been worried that asshole had been bothering you again.”

 _He has,_ Kyungsoo thought to himself, biting his tongue. He glanced across the field at Jongin, who was running with one of his cousins, seeming to not have any trouble with the pace. He didn’t look like he had even broken a sweat.

“It’s not a good thing.” Kyungsoo finally admitted, bringing his attention back to his friend. “He doesn’t even like me. Actually, I don’t like him either. He’s a jerk.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Sehun responded with a laugh, “Who is this guy? Do I know him?”

“No,” Kyungsoo rushed out before hesitating. He realized that he probably should have made up a backstory before telling anyone about this. “He’s from...America. And it is that bad,” He continued, hoping Sehun won’t ask him any more specific questions, “Whenever we see each other he acts like I’m not even there.”

“Maybe it’s because he doesn’t speak Korean, so he can’t talk to you. Also, your English sucks. Maybe you said something really offensive.” Sehun teased. Kyungsoo frowned, he wasn’t supposed to be taking up for this loser, he was supposed to be feeling sorry for him.

“He speaks my language, trust me. He just doesn’t like me. I think it’s because of his pack. They don’t like outsiders.” He explained, hoping that it was close enough to the truth for Sehun to get the big picture. “And on top of it,” He complained, happy he was finally talking about this, “He’s like a typical alpha. Like _alpha_ alpha. Like the kind of guy who would beat up an omega in the locker room if you know what I mean. How could this happen to me?”

Sehun was quiet for a minute, and Kyungsoo panicked, wondering if he let himself get carried away and revealed too much. This was why he was so bad at hiding things. It always ended up like this. He would always say way too much and then start to get more and more paranoid until the anxiety overwhelmed him and he blurted out whatever it was he was trying to keep secret, assuming everyone already knew anyway. _Not this time_ , he decided, pressing his lips together and fighting the urge to confess.

“I never told you this,” Sehun finally spoke, his voice lower than normal, embarrassed sounding. Kyungsoo’s ears perked up. Sehun _never_ kept secrets. “But when I first met Luhan he hated me.”

“What?” Kyungsoo spluttered, looking over at his friend in surprise. He hadn’t had a clue about this. They had been the perfect couple for as long as he could remember. “How am I just hearing about this?”

Sehun shrugged, staying silent, and Kyungsoo instantly understood. “What happened? What was his problem?”

“He had a boyfriend already. He assumed they were gonna be mated, of course.” Sehun explained, and Kyungsoo nodded sympathetically. “When he found out about me his boyfriend broke up with him, so he was really mad. _Really_ mad.” Sehun repeated, and Kyungsoo could tell by the way his eyes glazed over that he was remembering everything that had happened.

“He wouldn’t talk to me, and if he did it was to curse at me in Chinese, which I didn’t know. He just told me about it later,” Sehun laughed, and Kyungsoo was impressed that there wasn’t any bitterness in the sound.

“That sounds awful. You guys always seem so happy. How did you win him over?”

“Time I guess,” Sehun responded simply. “I started studying Chinese to help, and just tried to get to know him. It drove him crazy, me talking to him, but it drove him even crazier that I was chopping up my words so bad so he started helping me learn.” His smile grew, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile in return. Sehun was such a good guy, it seemed unfair that anyone wouldn’t instantly see that.

“And of course, it also helped how quickly his ex moved on whenever his own mate showed up. But I think he had already fallen for me by then,” Sehun waggled his eyebrows with a grin, gaining a groan from his friend.

“I think, though, for us, with our mates being someone we don’t know already, it’s harder.” Sehun said, becoming serious again. “You have to be friends first before you can be mates. And for you…” He hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully, “You have a tendency that once you think you know everything about something you completely dismiss it. And once that happens you never give it a chance to show you that it’s something else.”

Kyungsoo sighed. That might be true sometimes, but in this case it didn’t matter. _This_ wasn’t because he was stubborn. “But it’s not my fault!” He insisted, getting frustrated, “Didn’t you hear me say that _he_ isn’t talking to _me_.”

“Yeah, but you don’t know why. You think you do, so you’re not going to put in any effort to find out the real reason. I’m just saying, fate wouldn’t have put you together with that big of an asshole. Something else is probably going on and you just don’t know about it.”

“Even if we’re friends it’s not going to solve anything if his pack doesn’t allow outsiders in.” Kyungsoo pointed out, afraid that he might be getting back into too much information range, but he got a little too sidetracked talking about Jongin’s bad attitude and forgot about the real problem. He kept doing this, worrying about being ignored when that part didn’t even matter. He knew it was just his omega tendencies, his wolf feeling rejection and needing to be placated. But even so, he needed to focus.   

“Maybe. But how do you know they won’t take you? And even if they didn’t I bet if you two came together and talked you could figure something out.” Sehun suggested, and added after taking in Kyungsoo’s expression, “Don’t worry so much Kyungsoo. Things will work out in the end. You guys just need time.”

Kyungsoo stayed silent beside his friend, happy to see their coach calling them in and putting an end to the conversation. He hated it when people said that thing were going to work out on their own. It didn’t actually mean anything. If he wanted something to work out than _he_ had to make it happen, not have faith in chance. It was chance that got him into this mess in the first place. He knew Sehun meant well, but in the case of him and Kim Jongin, he was completely wrong.  

 

Kyungsoo pulled the load of towels from the drier, dumping them on the table beside the machine to start folding. It was the first Friday of the month, which meant it was his day to stay after track and clean the towels. Usually there was another omega, Baekhyun, who was also assigned for this day, but Kyungsoo had agreed when he begged to leave earlier today to go meet with his mate’s family for dinner. He didn’t really have anything to do, anyway.

It had been an uneventful week with no visits from Jongin, and Kyungsoo was grateful for the break to clear his head. It was nice to feel normal in his regular routine of studying, watching movies at Sehun’s, and avoiding his father.

He had a feeling this coming week wasn’t going to be so easy, though. Before the full moon alphas always got a bit more aggressive than normal, frustrated more easily. That’s when he usually got called in to his father’s office, too.

He was also nervous because he wasn’t sure how Jongin was going to behave during this time. _If he was going to do something to me, this would be the time_. Kyungsoo sighed, picking up the stack. He would just have to wait and see.

The laundry area was just a small room with the two machines and a table for folding connected to the locker room. When Kyungsoo crossed back into larger area he paused for a moment, listening. It sounded like music playing, coming from one of the two open shower areas. He didn’t remember leaving anything on, and he was running so behind that everyone else should be gone.

Kyungsoo wound his way to the back, trying to balance the stack of towels in his arms while following the sound. It was a hip-hop track he didn’t quite recognize, with the distinct, tingy sound of being played through cheap speakers. He poked his head around the end of the lockers to see if he could spot who had snuck in this late, wondering if maybe one of the teachers or staff had been using this area after hours, and froze. He held his breath, gripping the towels closer to his chest.

It was Jongin. Kyungsoo recognized him at once, realizing that this time the other was actually here and this wasn’t just another vision. That alone was strange, but it was nothing compared to what Jongin was doing. The alpha wasn’t just taking a shower, he was _dancing_.

Kyungsoo watched with increasing curiosity as Jongin moved across the tiles to the music. He had two shower heads going, and was sliding back and forth between them, surprisingly graceful as he added a spin on one of his passes.

Kyungsoo could only stare, not sure what to make of what he was seeing. At first, his eyes stayed fixed to Jongin’s face. He had never seen the other look like _this_ before, so light and carefree, like the younger was having fun. It was hard to believe that this was the same cold Jongin that he saw everyday.

The second thing he noticed was that Jongin was _naked._ Kyungsoo swallowed thickly, his eyes moving down the body on display in front of him. Usually the two opposing packs changed in different sides of the locker room and used opposite shower areas, so he had never seen this much of Jongin’s body before. Somehow, he never imagined what Kim jongin had looked like under his clothes. He certainly hadn't expected it to be so perfect, all lean muscle rippling with each movement. Kyungsoo imagined the power in that body when Jongin turned in his direction, thrusting his hips, causing his eyes to travel even lower.

Kyungsoo let out a cough, forgetting he wasn’t supposed to swallow and inhale at the same time. It wasn’t a loud sound, but with Jongin’s hearing it was enough to make him pause, his eyes searching for the source. Kyungsoo jumped back behind the lockers, holding his breath, his heart hammering in his chest. The music stopped abruptly, followed by the sound of the faucets being shut off. Kyungsoo realized then that he was still standing there like an idiot and Jongin was probably about to come around the corner, so he did what he should have done in the first place. He dropped the towels on the nearest bench and ran.

 

 

It was too hot. Kyungsoo pushed the sheet away, turning to lay on his back. He had already shed his clothes down to his boxers, but he could still feel the sweat collecting on his skin, making him itch all over. He had been laying in bed for hours struggling to get comfortable, but there was no use. He wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

The image flashed in his mind again. It had been on repeat since he left the showers that afternoon, distracting every other thought. It wasn't something that was easily forgotten. He could still clearly see Jongin’s body moving under the water, slow and enticing, calling to him.

Kyungsoo gave out a huff of resignation, reaching down to pull off the last piece of clothing and tossing it onto the floor. He _really_ hadn’t wanted to do this. Kim Jongin didn’t deserve his attraction or his attention, but Jongin’s body might be another story. Besides, he knew he wasn’t going to get any rest until he released some of this tension.

Kyungsoo reached down, letting out a light sigh as his fingers finally settled around his aching cock, and the scene started over. This time, instead of running away, Kyungsoo imagined himself approaching Jongin confidently under the showers, his own clothes disappearing as he got closer. _This_ Jongin was excited to see him, wasting no time pushing Kyungsoo against the tiles and gripping his hips roughly, pulling their bodies flush together to grind against him.

Kyungsoo’s pace increased, trying to build the sensation that was just starting in his pelvis. It wasn’t quite enough. His body ached to be filled instead, but it was too late to go get any of the toys in his closet. Besides, after what he saw today, he was afraid they weren’t going to be enough to satisfy him anymore, anyway. He would definitely need to get an upgrade before his next heat.

In the next moment that did seem to matter anymore, because he felt something different, something much more exciting, and his body went haywire. He cracked open an eye, almost afraid to seek out the other. He wasn’t quite ready to ruin the image in his head with the cold reality of Jongin’s indifference. But he shouldn’t have worried.  

Jongin was standing at the end of the bed, his shirt missing and his pajama bottoms laying low on his hips, and his face looking exactly like the Jongin that had just been in his fantasies. His mouth was slack, eyes dark and heavy as it followed the erratic movements of Kyungsoo’s hand.

That look was all it took to push Kyungsoo over the edge. He arched his back, releasing himself on his stomach, and in that brief moment he could feel something else. It was a connection, wrapping around him, bonding him to Jongin, filling him with an overwhelming sense of affection. It was only a second, and before he could think of it any further, it was gone.  

Kyungsoo collapsed back into the bed, trying to catch his breath. Jongin stood silently in a daze for another moment before seeming to wake up, realizing what had just happened. His eyes flicked up to meet Kyungsoo’s quickly, nervously, before shifting to the ground. He thought it was almost endearing the way the other didn’t seem to know what to do with himself, first moving his hands together and then glancing around quickly. When he finally turned and all but ran out of the bedroom Kyungsoo couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up from his throat. He felt better than he had in a long time.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was just turning a light shade of pink as Kyungsoo made his way across the campus, still feeling very much asleep. He moved sluggishly, not bothering to keep up with the two figures beside of him.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this” Kyungsoo muttered, fighting back a yawn.

“Don’t worry Hanya, he’s always this dramatic.” Sehun paused, waiting for him to catch up and looked over at his cousin on his opposite side, “I think it’s because he’s an omega. You know they always gotta be extra.”

“Hey!” She laughed, hitting him in the chest Kyungsoo huffed, pushing himself into Sehun’s side, knocking them both off balance.

“See what I mean.” Sehun shook his head.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, trying to gain his footing. “Don’t listen to him. If that was true he wouldn’t make me go everywhere with him. You’ll see how needy alphas really are.”

Hani shook her head at them, her thick chestnut hair fanning around her face. It was her first day at their school, newly transferred all the way from another territory to the east. ‘The country’ she had called it, comparing it to their heavily populated city. Sehun dismissed them as a bunch of hicks, but Kyungsoo had been fascinated by the stories she had told him the night before of how simple life had been in her former pack. It was a reminder of how different things could be if he were somewhere else, and how small of a bubble he lived in.  

Most of all, he had been surprised that they would move _here_ of all places. A place he assumed everyone wanted to escape from.

And originally her father, who was from here, had chosen to leave. Especially because the visions introduced him to his foreign mate who refused to leave her hometown, but still, the way Hani made it sound he he had _wanted_ to leave at the time.

That much Kyungsoo could understand. But what he couldn’t wrap his head around was what there could possibly be here that would make them want to come back?

“Opportunity,” Hani had explained stuffing chips into her mouth as they spread out on Sehun’s bed. There wasn’t much of that where they were from, and he had finally convinced his wife that they could make a better life back here. Whatever that meant.

Kyungsoo worried about Hani, though, being the new kid. Fitting in was already hard enough, but with pack dynamics, it brought high school cliques up to the next level.

Sehun appeared to be having similar worries as his, volunteering to show her around before classes started, trying to give her some sort of idea of where everything was and how things worked around here.

She didn’t look affected though, smiling and acting last night when it was just the three of them. She was much braver than he was.

Sehun pulled back the heavy door to the school, holding it while the other two slipped inside into the open entryway. Hani looked around with wide eyes, taking in the empty space. It _is_ nice, Kyungsoo conceded, with the black and white marbled floors and sleek glass doors lining the slate gray walls. It seemed more like an expensive office building than an school. Parents liked to see what they were paying for.

They moved down the hall, Kyungsoo still lagging as Sehun pointed out the main office she would need to visit when they were finished and the counselor’s offices that were attached.

At the end of the hall they reached the cafeteria. Kyungsoo had been going to private schools his whole life, and only had comparisons of what others were like from television. As far as he knew, their cafeteria was better than most others.

It looked more like a restaurant than the uniform, cinder block rooms from on screen. Various food stations lined up neatly against the back wall where students could choose from different menus. They even had a chef from overseas overseeing all their meals. Nothing but the best.

“This is where we eat,” Sehun announced unceremoniously, leaning to squint at the printed paper in her hands, “But from your schedule it looks like your lunch is at a different time from ours. But don’t worry,” He added quickly, throwing her a nervous look, “I’m sure it will be fine.”

Kyungsoo wasn’t so sure that was true, but Hani nodded absently, her eyes shifting over clusters of tables as if she were looking for something specific.

“Where do the hot guys usually sit?” She looked up at them, her easy smile shifting to a grin when she saw their matching surprised expressions. “You know dad is only paying for me to go here so I can find a good mate, right? So where’s the popular table? I know there is one.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but to laugh while Sehun sputtered, unable to answer. “Over here,” he finally offered, pointing to a larger table by the door. “At least, for our pack, and for your lunch period it’s the same. It’s always by the front door so everyone can see them.”

She nodded, her eyes on the table while she repeated the words “for our pack?”

“The most important thing is,” Sehun wrapped his arm around her, directing her to the center of the room into the open lane that separated the two sides, “Is that you stay over here.” He gestured to the left side of the room, and Kyungsoo could sense her confusion as she looked from one end of the room to the other, identical now that they were empty.

“You know that the Kim’s go to school here, right? They sit over there, and we sit over here. So whatever you do, don’t go over there. They won’t be nice.” Kyungsoo explained, wondering how much she knew of the city that she was moving into. It was obvious that right now she didn’t know much, but she nodded her head slowly anyway, still looking curiously to the Kim’s side of the room. He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

 

“So, I really have to do a sport?” Hani whined, passing the locker rooms with a frown. They popped open the back door, facing the track.

“Believe it,” Kyungsoo agreed miserably. It was a stupid rule.

“It’s good for you,” Sehun added as they ducked back in, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but snort.

“He’s only saying that to sound like a good influence. Everyone hates it.”

“At my old school, only the alphas and betas had to do sports. They’re the only ones who needed it.”

Kyungsoo agreed again. It was only for those two groups that the rule existed to begin with, so they could get excess energy out and keep aggression down. It was necessary in for _them._ Omegas didn’t really have the same tendencies, so it never made much sense that he had to run around with Sehun every afternoon, but that’s the way it was.

“There’s a lot to pick from though,” Sehun continued, ignoring them, “Swimming, gymnastics, track. That’s the one we do.”

“What about soccer?” She asked while they moved into the gym. “They had it in my old school and it looked fun. Will I get to play on the same team with boys?”

Kyungsoo had to admit that it was pretty funny to watch Sehun get so flustered at her questions so easily, his face turning a bright shade of red. She was going to be fun.

“No team sports,” His friend finally answered with a small frown, sounding torn between answering her questions or lecturing her about them.

“Two packs,” Kyungsoo reminded her again, wiggingling two fingers in the air and realizing how much this was becoming a theme. “They can’t put us on a team together. But we can’t be against each other, either. That would be even worse.”

Sehun nodded along while she put her hands on her hips, her lips pursed, “Why do they even put everyone in the same school if you just spend all your time avoiding each other?”

“Good question.” Sehun agreed, “But who do you think is gonna be the one to give up and leave? You know how that is.”

She nodded, even though it was obvious she didn’t quite get it, and Kyungsoo felt jealousy starting to build up. He wished he didn’t get it, either.

They went out the door on the opposite side of the gym leading them into a hallway he wasn’t as familiar with. Both sides of the walls were dotted with sliding wooden doors with long, rectangular panes of glass down the left side, giving a small glimpse inside each room. He knew the pool was at the end of this path, but that was as far as his knowledge went.

“Helllllo,” Hani said lowly, drawing out the word. They had passed a few doors showing gymnastics equipment and exercise machines, and she had wandered slightly ahead, stopping in front of a room towards the end of the hall. “I knew moving here was a good idea.” She murmured to herself, eyes glued to whatever what on the other side of the door.

“No. Absolutely not.” Kyungsoo became even more interested at the sharp sound in Sehun’s voice. The alpha grabbed his cousin by her shoulders, attempting to pull her away while she dug her feet in. “Don’t even think about it. In fact, don’t even think about thinking about it.”

“I’m gonna do a lot more than thinking,” She responded breathlessly, jerking backwards in the losing battle with her stronger cousin.

Kyungsoo finally caught up, his eyes lining up to the small pane of glass straight to the figure behind it. His gasp was lost under the sound of Hani’s as they both watched, transfixed as Jongin sat on the weight bench, lifting a bar steady over his head. He held it for a moment, the corded muscles of his arms flexing under the effort.

Kyungsoo felt the heat starting in his belly, rising up to leave red patches across his throat and face. He hadn’t seen Jongin since _that night_ and at seeing him now he wasn't sure if he was more excited or embarrassed.

What was worse, though, was the overwhelming feeling to _go_ to Jongin, bury his face in that hard chest and wrap his own scent all over his alpha’s body and show this girl that Jongin was _his_.

The vibrations of a low growl starting in his chest brought him out of his haze and he froze, noticing in horror that his hand was already resting on the door knob.

 _That’s new_ , he thought nervously, taking another step backwards. He had never really been _drawn_ to Jongin like this before. He wondered if that was an after effect of what had happened between them the other night and the strange connection he had felt when it was over, or if this was just part of what happened between mates over time.

And making things worse was the fact that since he had last seen Jongin the full moon had passed, and he had skipped the change, instead spending the night locked in his room under the covers afraid of what he might do otherwise. Since then, he had been a little more sensitive, and he could tell it was adding another layer to his struggle.

If this kept up he was going to be in deep trouble.

“What are you doing?” Sehun hissed from a few feet away, still dragging his cousin who was looking a little dazed herself.

Kyungsoo shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts and took a deep breath, pushing the air out through his teeth. He moved his feet and felt a tug, just a tiny pull calling him back, and as he finally left the little pane that separated them he gave one last look, his heart leaping to his throat when he saw the alpha’s eyes boring into him, his expression unreadable. Kyungsoo moved faster.

“I knew it was a good idea to move here,” Hani was repeating when he caught up to them. She was walking on her own again, and Sehun directed them through the doors that lead into the pool area, checking over his shoulder before closing them and leaning heavily against the frame.

“Hanya, No.” Sehun insisted again, shaking his head wearily. “That was Kim Jongin. As in, the son of Kim Jongdae, head alpha of the Kims. As in, if you are gonna avoid anyone it would be him. So, just...no.”

“Everyone here is actually in a different pack from me, even you guys, so what’s the difference?” Hani waved a hand, dismissing him. “Besides, forbidden love is hot. I love that Romeo and Juliet shit.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Sehun exploded, grabbing her arm again and pulling her along the concrete path along the side of the pool. They only made it a few feet before she managed to pull herself free again.

They all stopped, the tour forgotten. Sehun looked at Kyungsoo for backup, but he kept his face carefully blank. He didn’t think he could do this.

“My father would kill you, your father would kill you, and Kyungsoo’s father….”

“He would really kill you.” Kyungsoo finished for him quietly.

“If Jongin didn’t do it first.” It wasn’t the words that made Kyungsoo’s head snap up, it was more the way he said it. The words weren’t just teasing threats, Sehun _knew_ something.

“What are you talking about?” He didn’t mean to ask the question, but wasn’t quite ready to take it back either. His confusion grew, through, when Sehun held his silence for a few seconds, his expression turning sheepish.

“I told my dad what happened with Jongin in the locker room,” The words tumbled out in a breath, and for a minute Kyungsoo couldn’t figure out what Sehun was talking about, and then everything came together.

“What were you thinking? What if my father finds out?” Kyungsoo exploded.

“Yeah, that’s what my dad was worried about, too.” Sehun bit out sourly, shaking his head, “But I couldn’t just let him get away with hitting you like that. I thought he would be able to do _something_ , but he didn’t want us to get involved. I’m sorry Kyungsoo.”

“You stupid alpha. You could have gotten me in so much trouble.” Kyungsoo punched Sehun’s arm lightly, feeling a rush of affection for his friend, even if his protective tendencies led him in horrible directions.

“But that’s how I found out about Jongin. He warned me to stay away from him. He even wanted to take me out of this school at first...” Sehun started again, moving closer towards them and glancing at the closed door. They followed his eyes, and Kyungsoo felt dread uncurl in his stomach, now remembering what they had been talking about to begin with. He suddenly regretted asking the question, not quite sure he wanted to know whatever Sehun was about to say.

“He’s a fucking psycho. For real. From what I heard whenever someone in the pack has to be punished or whatever he is the one who does it. He _asks_ to do it. I mean, I know stuff like that happens in every pack,” He paused, not meeting Kyungsoo’s gaze, “But to get off on it like that...that’s just fucked up. So I get that you don’t really know what’s going on here yet, Hanya, but for real, stay away from Kim Jongin. We don’t know if one day he’s gonna decide to start shit with us. Get a pack war going or something. You never know with those people. They aren’t like us.”

She nodded, sucking her lip between her teeth while Kyungsoo stood silently, trying to process the words even though part of him already knew they were true. It was impossible for him to forget the first night he had found out Jongin was his mate. The alpha sitting on his bed covered in fresh blood that was obviously not his own, but the second part of what Sehun was suggesting didn’t seem right either. Kyungsoo couldn’t believe that Jongin liked it.

It was so confusing, figuring Jongin out. It was as though he had a bunch of pieces to different puzzles and were trying to fit them all together. He had seen so many sides of Jongin in the past few weeks, and still had no idea who the other really was. But he also remembered the tears marking Jongin’s face the night he had found him. That had to mean something as well, didn’t it?

And then another idea occurred to him, something Sehun mentioned in the end, about Jongin attacking them to start a pack war. “Does my father know about this, too?” Kyungsoo wondered aloud, thoughts leaping ahead.

“I dunno, I guess. If mine does than yours has to.”

 _Then why did he pit me against the alpha if he knew how dangerous he was? Did he want him to do something to me all along? Was the whole competition some kind of set up? A way to push Jongin to hurt me so that maybe he could have an excuse to attack the Kim’s?_ Kyungsoo knew he was getting out of hand, and that none of these ideas were very realistic, but couldn’t completely dismiss them either. Especially since it somehow made everything make a lot more sense.

He was saved from having to think about any of it further when the door in front of them cracked open, a few students pushing into the room, their voices echoing off the tiled walls.

“Shit,” Sehun looked at the clock over the door, “Class starts in 15 minutes and I haven’t even showed you where the classrooms are yet. Sorry Hanya.”

They started moving again and she shrugged, giving him a wry smile, “This was way better anyway. Besides, I keep telling you not to worry about me. You’re as bad as both of our dads.”

Kyungsoo followed behind them not really listening, his mind flitting between thoughts of Jongin’s pack and his own. He was really starting to see just how caught in the middle of everything he truly was, but even so he still didn’t have a clue about what was really going on.

And what was worse, he had no idea how he was going to find out.

  
  
  
  


It had been a long week.

Long because he had two tests and an unexpected quiz that he probably failed, unable to focus since he was barely sleeping.

Long because Sehun had been whining non stop whenever they were together, unable to cope with watching his cousin become more popular at school, her flirty and easy-going nature already landing her a spot at the infamous table by the door.

But mostly it had been a long week because Jongin hadn’t been there.

He had seen him at school, of course, on the other side of the classroom or behind him on the track, even though Kyungsoo had stopped checking for fear of Sehun noticing.

But he hadn’t shown up in Kyungsoo’s mind at all, wasn’t studying at his desk when he came home from school. He didn’t know why, but it felt like if he could just see Jongin, see him in his room like everything was normal, then maybe the knot in his chest would loosen just a little, and he could finally breathe again.

It didn’t happen.

In his absence, Kyungsoo couldn’t do anything but think.

At night, he would lay in bed and replay all the scenes he had shared with Jongin thus far, trying to find any detail that might give him a hint of who Jongin really was. There didn’t seem to be any.

Sometimes he would give up and try and make a plan, feeling like he needed to do _something_ , even though he didn’t have a clue what that would even be.

 _Should I try to talk to Jongin_? That idea replayed itself the most. It seemed the easiest way to get answers, but that’s when he would get stuck. Again. There didn’t seem to be anything he could actually say to Jongin. To straight out ask if the alpha about being a heartless killer was a little much, especially if it was true.

But everything else he wanted to know was just as off limits. _What happened the night I saw you in my room? Why were you crying?_ Or the question he wanted to know more than the others. _Why do you think we’re we mates? Do you like me?_ He always dismissed that idea as quick as it came.

It was a stupid thought.

Besides, he wasn’t even sure if he liked Jongin either. All he knew is that he didn’t hate him anymore, but other than that he wasn’t quite sure. He was attracted to the alpha, of that there was no doubt. Drawn to him even, from what he saw the other day.

 _Is it actually possible to like someone when you knew nothing about them?_ He had no idea, and resisted the whisper in the back of his head that always answered _yes_. The rational side of him wasn’t quite ready for all that. Jongin had hit him, after all. Whatever was going on with the other, what he did in the locker room was still his choice, and Kyungsoo wasn’t quite ready to just forget about it yet.

And that’s usually when the cycle would begin again, bringing him back to trying to figure out what Jongin was all about again. He was stuck.

So by the time the weekend rolled around and Jongin showed up in his kitchen, popping up directly beside him at the stove with a frying pan in his hand like he hadn’t been plaguing all of Kyungsoo’s thoughts all week, he was pretty much done.

Kyungsoo pulled himself up straight, taking a small step back from where he had been leaning against the counter next to his takoyaki maker, idly spinning the balls of dough with a wooden stick.

His eyes swept over Jongin, who was dressed casually in a loose white tank top and knee length shorts, his feet bare against the dark tiled floor while he cracked eggs over the small pan.

Kyungsoo winced a little as he saw a few pieces of shell floating on the top of the egg. Jongin didn’t seem to notice.

Finally, after a few seconds, Jongin’s shoulders tensed, seeming to realize he wasn’t alone anymore. Kyungsoo half expected him to abandon his food and leave, but instead the alpha just reached out into the empty space and retrieved a spoon, his expression blank.

 _Is this what progress looks like?_ Kyungsoo wondered grimly, but became distracted after another moment when Jongin started to pick up random items from the void beside him and add them to the oozing liquid in the pan. It quickly became obvious the alpha had no idea what he was doing.

First went in some onions and pickles followed by what Kyungsoo could only guess was chicken, and topped off with a large stream of ketchup.

After everything went into the pan Jongin started vigorously stirring, mixing everything and coating the raw egg on each item. It was a mess.

And that’s when Kyungsoo noticed something else.

“You didn’t turn on the heat.” He was just as surprised as Jongin to hear his voice ringing across the empty kitchen, but pointed to the dials anyway, which were still turned to zero on his side.

Jongin paused his stirring, deliberating for a moment before flicking his arm out, twisting the small knob.

Kyungsoo abandoned his own food, switching off the heat and hesitantly moving closer to Jongin’s side. This felt like the opening he had been waiting for, and staring down at the blob in the pan, pink now as the ketchup had streaked through everything, it was clear that the other needed his help.

“You um- have a few shells in there,” He pointed to the jagged pieces that had moved to the edge, “you probably want to take those out.”

He held his breath, watching as the long fingers reached in, struggling to grab the small pieces while they moved around in the liquid. Finally Jongin gave up, grabbing the spoon and scooping them out while Kyungsoo bit back a grin. Alpha’s never had patience.

“You don’t want to mix it quite yet,” Kyungsoo reached out a hand and dropping it just as quickly as the spoon stopped its movement. “Wait until it cooks across the bottom, and then start lifting up the edges.” He continued, trying to keep his voice calm through the excitement he was feeling.

They both stood awkwardly as the egg finally started to solidify, and Jongin reached out tentatively to lift the side, liquid from the top sliding into the empty spot. He paused, as though waiting for Kyungsoo to correct him, before moving to the other side to repeat the process.

Kyungsoo held his breath, trying to keep calm. Out of all the conversations that he imagined having with Jongin for the past few days, it had never been about the alpha’s cooking skills.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 _But really, what in the hell is he doing?_ Kyungsoo wondered as he watched Jongin add yet another item into the mix.

“Soy Sauce? Are you serious?” Kyungsoo couldn’t help laughing, staring at the alpha incredulously.

His smile faded as the Jongin froze, a sour look forming on his profile. He stood there for a just a moment before pushing the pan off the burner, reaching back to turn off the heat. Kyungsoo knew had gone too far.

He took a small step back, moving to his own food and trying to make a show of giving Jongin his space, thoughts racing of ways to salvage the situation.

“I’m making takoyaki. Have you tried it?” He asked after another moment, hoping maybe a change of subject would smooth things over a little better, but it didn’t take long to see that Jongin wasn’t going to answer.

“Yeah, probably not, right? I’ll bet since you’re an alpha you are all protein all the time. Well, you’re missing out. ” He scooped some of the balls onto his plate, trying to ignore the rock settling in his stomach. _How did I end up with someone with no sense of humor?_ He sighed, getting frustrated with both Jongin and himself.

Jongin still hadn’t left yet, either, so Kyungsoo decided this hadn’t been a complete disaster. In fact, Jongin hadn’t done anything but stare at the discolored mixture still slightly simmering in the pan, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I was writing my literature essay and got stuck,” Kyungsoo continued, hoping he wasn’t reading the situation wrong. He sprinkled on the last of the seaweed strips over his plate,  “and so I decided to cook. This takes a long time so it helps me think. But this time I’m still stuck. What book did you pick?”

This time the silence was expected and he picked up one of the fluffy balls, popping the whole thing in his mouth to stop himself from saying anything further. He closed his eyes, relishing the flavor. It was salty and vinegary, just like he liked it, and he couldn’t stop the sigh of happiness that left his lips.

When opened them again he was surprised to see Jongin was directly looking at him, his brows drawn together in frustration. Kyungsoo went still, the blood rising to his cheeks as he tried to match the dark gaze, the air growing thick around them.

They stared at each other for a moment, and the question _who are you?_ Popped up in Kyungsoo’s mind again, but his mouth couldn’t form the words. He could only stare back, trapped in the other’s gaze.

After a moment the spell was broken when Jongin looked away, his head snapping towards the opening of the room, his body turning quickly, shifting to stand between Kyungsoo and the door. Kyungsoo assumed that someone had just come in, and even though he knew they couldn’t see him, he couldn’t help but to think the move had been on purpose.

“I’m still working on my paper. I was just making lunch.” Jongin quiet voice filled the kitchen as he gestured the forgotten pan on the back of the stove. “I’m not having trouble.” He disagreed after a beat of silence, before adding, “I just got started.”

Kyungsoo could tell Jongin was starting to get anxious, his voice losing it’s flat tone, edging higher in those few, short sentences. He risked a glance around the wide back, wondering if it were possible to see the stranger.

There wasn’t anything to see, though, just the yellow tiled walls and the walnut swinging door that seperated the kitchen from the living room. Nothing but empty space.

It was a subtle movement, but Jongin shifted slightly, putting himself back in front of Kyungsoo’s view yet again. Now he was sure it was on purpose, the realization filling him with warmth. Jongin was trying to protect _him_.

“High Tide,” Jongin said these words slowly, hesitantly. His book report book, Kyungsoo guessed, since Jongin just mentioned his paper. He was surprised at the choice, though. That was a romance.

“No……....that isn’t why….….I didn’t know it was her favorite…..Please, that’s hers….I don’t need it.” Kyungsoo listened closely to the one-sided argument, getting more confused as Jongin words started coming faster, more desperate. It didn’t feel as though this was about a book report anymore, but there hadn’t been a change in subject that he could quite follow either.

The final pause seemed to last forever before Jongin finally choked out a defeated, “Thank you,” the sound in contrast with the words, and Kyungsoo could tell the conversation was finished, and Jongin had lost.

One minute passed, and then another. Finally Jongin let out a jagged breath, his shoulders sagging, and he knew it was over, and they were alone again.

This time Kyungsoo’s hand didn’t falter, reaching out on pure instinct, not thinking of anything but comforting the broken figure in front of him. When his palm came in contact with a solid mass, planting firmly on Jongin’s back, he was jerked back into reality again.

In the same moment the vision ended, Jongin disappearing from view just as sudden as he appeared. Kyungsoo stood frozen, his hand was still outstretched, tingling with the warmth that had been radiadiating from under the thin material of the shirt he had just touched, while the consequences of what had just happened caught up to him.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

  
  
  


Kyungsoo wasn’t quite ready yet when he walked down the hallway towards his room a few hours later and felt the familiar tug, causing him to pause outside of his bedroom door.

After the kitchen episode he had gone straight to Sehun’s, ignoring his friend’s questioning looks and begging to watch a movie. His plan had been to get as far away from home to drown out his thoughts and forget about everything. He could worry about it later.

In the end they had watched three movies while he stress ate a whole pepperoni pizza. And It hadn’t worked at all.

Everything was a reminder.

Kyungsoo had never noticed before, but every plot seemed to center around mates in some way. Even in the zombie movie he had talked Sehun into in a desperate hope for something different, the main characters were a pair that hated each other but were mated in the end after battling together against all odds. It was just too close to home.

And now Jongin was here _again_ , just on the other side of the door, and it had barely been seven hours since he had seen the alpha. All he wanted at least a little time to process everything, but when he finally pushed open the door, spotting Jongin sitting predictably at the desk hunched over a worn paperback with the words High Tide in large cursive across the cover and a notepad filled with writing below it, he knew the universe didn’t care about what he wanted at all.

 _At least one of us is getting work done_ , Kyungsoo noted bitterly, shrugging his bag off onto the carpet and dropping heavily onto the bed.

He considered for a moment if moving the desk in another room would move Jongin as well, and then the other would leave him alone.

But truthfully, he didn’t really want that either. Not after he waited all week to see Jongin sitting in that very spot. He just hadn’t imagined feeling like this.

Kyungsoo rolled over to his side, propping himself up to look at Jongin. He wished he could scent the other over the connection. At least that would give him a clue about what Jongin was thinking, because right now he was getting nothing.

For the first time, Kyungsoo saw just how strange their whole situation was. It was easy to forget that Jongin wasn’t actually sitting at his desk, and that to him everything looked completely different. In Jongin’s vision he wasn’t sprawled on top of his own twin bed, laying on top of the rumpled blue comforter, but instead was actually on Jongin’s bed, possibly in the very spot that Jongin slept every night.

The realization was like a punch in the gut, and he sat up abruptly, swinging his legs over to sit on the edge of the bed, feeling self-conscious.

He tried to imagine the alpha’s bedroom, imagining himself fitting into it. It was probably bigger than his, his bed wider. There was obviously a desk, but other than that he had nothing. He never did have much of an imagination.

“What does your room look like?” He asked aloud, the words following the idea without thought. He wondered why it was so easy to talk to Jongin when he wasn't asking the questions he really wanted to know the answers to.

Jongin ignored him, flipping the page in his text and resting his chin in his palm as if he were actually engrossed in whatever he was reading. Kyungsoo sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

“My room is kind of boring,” He continued, eyes sweeping over his blank white walls. The only furniture consisted of the bed, a plain wooden dresser, and the desk, which usually sat empty. “You don’t seem like the decoration type, either. I bet your room is just as empty as mine. Sehun always gives me shit for it, but I’ve never seen the point of decorating or changing anything. All I’ve ever wanted to do was get out of this house and all of this, not put pictures up and pretend like it’s actually my home.”

Kyungsoo gave a small shrug, looking back at Jongin. His eyes were still glued to the page, mouth twisted into a small frown. The idea that he was bothering Jongin made him want to laugh, but it also made him want to keep talking. He was getting to the part that he wanted Jongin to actually understand about him. How much the connection was costing him.

“I always thought I was going to be able to get out of here. That my mate was going to come and take me away, and I would be free. Stupid right? I should have known better.”   _It was stupid_ , he reminded himself. He hadn’t really realized how much he had been depending on that plan until now that it was gone.   _What am I going to do now?_

“Jongin,” Kyungsoo started, the admission giving him confidence. They couldn’t avoid talking about this forever. If he had to be the adult here and start it, that’s what he would do.

He took a few tentative steps towards the other, straightening his shoulders and taking a steadying breath, “We need to talk.”

Jongin finally dragged his eyes over to him, and it reminded him of the night they first saw each other, when Kyungsoo thought Jongin had come to murder him. He looked just as desperate and confused.

When Kyungsoo took another step he jumped out of the chair, hands raised while he frantically looked around the room, trying to find an escape.

 _He thinks I’m going to touch him_ , Kyungsoo realized, lowering his hands quickly. “Listen, I’m not going to-”

But before he could finish, Jongin’s gaze shifted to the door, and he slipped through it before Kyungsoo had even noticed him moving. Jongin was running away.

“Wait-” Kyungsoo yelled, his legs moving on their own. He wasn’t even sure why he was going after Jongin, but couldn’t quite stop himself either. “Please, don’t go. We need to-”

On the other side of the door, Kyungsoo collided into something solid, the sweet, cloying smell of gardenia’s abruptly filling his nose. He pulled back, fear pooling his his stomach.

He ran directly into his mother.

  
  
  


 

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, leaning over into Sehun. His friend lazily raised an arm, wrapping it loosely around Kyungsoo’s waist as he snuggled further into the hard side. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but for right now it would have to do.

Kyungsoo was exhausted. He had just finished taking the physics test he had stayed up half the night studying for and had crashed as soon as he hit the lunch table.

It was sort of a last ditch attempt since grades had been slipping so much in the last weeks,  but his father hadn’t called to talk about it for awhile, so he hoped that maybe Jongin’s were slipping too and they were still somewhat even. If anything, at least they were in this together.

But now that the test was over, he just wanted to sleep and forget everything. If Sehun stayed still enough, he could squeeze a small nap in before their next class.

“What movie do you want to watch tonight?” He felt the question rumble out of the body he was plastered to, the words taking a few seconds to register. He had forgotten it was Friday already.

Kyungsoo reluctantly opened his eyes, flinching slightly in the surprise. In the seconds between closing his eyes and opening them again the chair across from them became occupied by an sour looking Kim Jongin, glaring down into his beef stew.

He knew it was only a vision, but he couldn’t resist glancing towards Jongin’s table anyway to double check the alpha hadn’t gone insane and decided to actually sit there.

It was surreal, seeing the mirror image of what was across from him also on the other side of the room. He wondered idly where he was seated at Jongin’s table, as the other two chairs were taken up as usual by his two cousins.

 _What’s his problem?_ Kyungsoo thought sleepily, turning his attention back to the fuming alpha directly in front of  him. He hadn’t seen Jongin in a couple of days, except for in school, and he had looked completely normal in class this morning.

Whatever it was that was pissing Jongin off this time couldn’t be him.

He pushed back the urge he still felt whenever he actually saw the other, the one that was always calling him to actually go to Jongin. He was pleased to see that he was starting to get good at it.

Sehun shifted, using his other hand to smack Kyungsoo on the arm. “Wake up,” He teased, “I asked what movie you wanted to watch. I don’t care as long as it’s not action. Or horror.”

Kyungsoo smiled sheepishly, embarrassed at how easily he could be distracted by Jongin all of the time. “I can’t, I have that dinner tonight with my family, remember?”

 _That_ conversation had been awkward after he had slammed into his mother that day while chasing after Jongin.

She had stood there with the garment bag slung over her arm, perincing him with her gaze while he stammered out excuses that she hadn’t even asked him for.

For the first time in his life, she looked interested in him, and he hadn’t liked it one bit.

To his surprise, though, she hadn’t pushed the issue. Instead, she simply handed him the heavy garment bag, giving him instructions about dinner on Friday in her usual clipped, precise tone and then disappeared as quickly as she arrived. The whole thing took less than a few minutes, but Kyungsoo had been slightly paranoid ever since.

“Have you told them yet?” Sehun asked, nudging him again, “about your soulmate?”

In a second all the blood drained from his face when Jongin’s eyes snapped up, his expression growing impossibly darker. Kyungsoo quickly untangled himself, sitting upright in the chair and shaking his head quickly.

He could tell that Jongin had heard the question and assumed that he told Sehun everything, but the only way that would have been possible in the crowded lunchroom was if Jongin was focusing on them, having his extra sense trained specifically to their conversation. The thought made him shiver.

“No,” He answered emphatically, clearing his throat. “I um, haven’t told them about my soulmate _in America_ .” He emphasized the last two words, even though he knew Jongin didn’t have to strain to hear _him_ , “And I don’t think they’ll care anyway.” He added, even though he wasn’t exactly sure about that part.

Jongin’s posture relaxed slightly, his expression clearing as he shifted his attention to his right. Kyungsoo watched him shake his head before shrugging, and assumed that he must be responding to one of his cousins who were probably scared half to death since Jongin’s look had been actually directed at one of them.

After a moment, Jongin reached his hand out, and Kyungsoo risked a glance across the room, curiosity overriding self-preservation. One of them, the dark haired, smaller beta, was handing Jongin a bag of chips. He accepted the bag without a word, tossing it beside his tray before settling back into his original stiff pose.

“You could at least say thank you,” Kyungsoo snapped, frowning in irritation.

Sehun’s spoon stopped in mid-air as he turned to Kyungsoo, his brows raised. Kyungsoo panicked, not realizing that he said the words out loud. “I meant- uh…- I should say thank you for...asking, and...for the advice the other day.” Not his best delivery, but Sehun nodded anyhow.

“So I’m guessing things haven’t gotten better between you guys yet?” He asked carefully, trying to interpret Kyungsoo’s weird behavior.

Kyungsoo eyed the figure in front of him, wondering if Jongin was still listening to them. His face was so smooth, so blank of any emotion, Kyungsoo couldn’t even get a hint of what the other was thinking. That was always the trouble. He just never knew.

“I don’t know,” He finally conceded, “Is it progress if he still won’t talk to me and pretends that I’m not there most of the time?”

An image flashed in his head of Jongin shifting to stand in front of him in the kitchen, instinctively protecting him against the person Jongin obviously thought was a threat in his own home, even though realistically the person couldn’t see Kyungsoo.

 _But what if he wasn’t?_ Kyungsoo considered, the idea occurring to him for the first time. _What if he wasn’t protecting me? What if he was protecting himself?_

When they were alone together, it was so easy for Kyungsoo to pretend that Jongin was different, and that there was more to him, more to _them_. But seeing Jongin in his own element here in the lunchroom, and how he just treated his own family, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but to feel foolish for believing that.

Suddenly the exhaustion came back. He was just so tired of all of this.

“What if...maybe...maybe there really isn’t anything there at all, and I really just got mated to a jerk and that’s all there is to it? What if I just want there to be more,” He continued, his voice growing quiet, “but...there just isn’t.”

Sehun sighed, looking at his friend sadly. He carefully reached over, pulling Kyungsoo back into his original position against his side, rubbing his back lightly. Kyungsoo melted into his warmth, letting the alpha soothe him, feeling some of the tension drain from his body. “Why couldn’t we be mates,” He whined, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re obviously perfect for each other.”

“Where should we run away to?” Sehun teased back.

Kyungsoo tried to think of somewhere as far away from here as possible, but before any words could leave his mouth Jongin stood abruptly from the table, his face twisted with rage, teeth bared. Kyungsoo watched in horror as he growled lowly in their direction, actually facing them from his side of the room, his body slowly starting to circle around the table.

In a flash, both of his cousins stood up as well, one reaching out towards the angry alpha, his lips moving rapidly. The sound seemed to wake him up, and in the next moment they moved him away, pushing him through the swinging doors and away from sight.

It had all happened in less than a few seconds.

“What was that about?” Sehun asked, echoing Kyungsoo’s thoughts, the hum of voices in the room raising back to normal levels.

Kyungsoo replayed what had just happened, looking back and forth between his own table and the one across the room in confusion. _Maybe he was jealous_ , a small voice suggested, stomach twisting at the thought. He didn’t quite believe that could be true, but he sat up anyway, pulling away from Sehun’s side just the same.

  
  
  


 

It was seven o'clock when Kyungsoo finally descended the stairs for dinner. He pulled lightly on the sleeves of his dark blue suit jacket his mother had delivered, trying to keep them in place against his wrist.

The suit was the same size as the one she had bought him for a previous dinner months ago, but he must have grown both up and out judging by the way it was riding up in all the wrong places.

His mother was not going to be pleased.

It was just another reason he hated these things. Luckily, they didn’t happen too often. His father was didn’t really operate too much on compliments, but in the rare cases that someone needed to be impressed by the image of the head alpha and his family he would make his obligatory appearance.

Usually not much was expected of him, though. He only had to sit and eat quietly, offering a modest smile during the part where his father bragged about his school achievements over Jongin’s before he could escape back into the confines of his room.

Tonight, he was dreading that part more than normal.

When he reached the sitting room where the family met heading into the dining room, he delayed at the entrance for a moment, hoping to get an idea about what he was walking into.

One one side of the expansive, dark paneled room sat his mother and brother, sitting as far apart as the tan, three cushion couch would allow.

His mother was overdressed as usual, her gauzy black dress cut low in the front showcasing the string of diamonds dripping down into the crevices of her chest.

His brother looked as stiff as he always did. Seungsoo flourished in his wolf form, a big, white beast that could do anything, but the rest of the time there was always a feeling that he was a bit out of place.  Right now was no exception, his posture straight and unbending as he sat on the edge of the cushion. His face was concentrated on whatever his father was saying, who was as usual placed in the high backed leather power-chair to their right.

That was the usual scene, but who he was really curious about was small group on the matching couch across from his own.

There were only three of them, what he assumed to be a husband, wife, and their son. The latter looked to be around the age of Seungsoo, and guessing by the unhappy expression maring his handsome face, he was most certainly an alpha.

And so was the boy’s father, a higher ranked one judging by how much the man seemed to be fidgitting through the conversation, clearly more used to being in the power-chair himself and not lumped together with his family on a sofa. He didn’t recognize the group, but from the light accent he could pick up from the words traveling to the door it was obvious they were only visitors in this place.

Kyungsoo’s eyes finally landed on the large, upright wooden clock standing beside the fireplace, verifying what he already knew was true. He couldn’t wait any longer.

He advanced quietly into the room, giving a silent prayer that dinner would be called before he he would be forced to take the only open seat available, sandwiched between his mother and brother.

At the edge of the group he stopped, bowing politely. As he raised his head he caught the stare of the woman of the small, visiting group. She assessed him shrewdly, her eyes methodically traveling down his small frame, lingering for a moment on the jacket. He stood still under her scruinity, feeling much like he was being judged in the same way as steak behind a counter being chosen for the night’s dinner.

 _This is different_ , he mused nervously. None of his father’s visitors had ever looked at him quite like _this_ before.

The room stayed quiet during her inspection, as though they were waiting for something, and after a few more tense moments she finally dropped her gaze, turning to give Kyungsoo’s father a small nod.

Suddenly the atmosphere shifted, and the sinking feeling that something was wrong became confirmed as his father stood up, crossing the room towards him with a self-satisfied smirk stretching on his thick lips. A boulder settled in his stomach as the man stopped beside him, turning to face the crowd.

“Finally. This is my youngest son, Kyungsoo.” As he spoke the words, the hand landed on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, roughly squeezing the flesh below the thick material. The pressure was just enough to have him stand at attention, lifting slightly on his toes. “Kyungsoo, let me introduce you to the Choi’s. Mr. Choi is the head alpha of a clan in Busan.” _So that explained the accent_ , Kyungsoo noted dipping his head again, although this time it was more of a vain attempt to loosen the grip on his shoulder than to be polite.

“And this is Choi Siwon,” He continued with a sweep of the arm, presenting the last member of the group. The boy finally raised his head, looking over at them without any interest, his eyes hollow, empty of all expression. The rest of the group looked on expectantly as his father turned back to him, his smile growing even larger before delivering the final blow. “And he’s agreed to become your mate.”

Kyungsoo sat in a daze, his head down and his food untouched in front of him. Right now he was pretty certain that anything that went in was just going to come right back anyway.

On one side of the long, oak table sat the alphas, discussing logistics. From what Kyungsoo could pick up from the conversation, the upcoming marriage with this pack was fueled by business. The pack from Busan was offering his father free use of their shipping ports in exchange for a percentage of the export profit.

But Kyungsoo knew there had to be more than that. He didn’t know much about business, but it didn’t seem _that_ advantageous of a deal to his father that he would trade his youngest son until he heard the mention of the Kim’s, and his ears perked up.

Of course they weren’t going to let the Kim’s use any of their ports, the other alpha assured his father. Yes, this was going to ruin several of their businesses. No, they would not allow any of the Kim’s exports in their city. The contract would be exclusive.

The list went on and on.

All the air left his lungs, and Kyungsoo struggled to breathe while the pieces fell into place.

His father was doing all of this, trading his own son to another pack, just to one up the Kims. _Again_.

It suddenly made sense that his father hadn’t called him into his study for over a month. He didn’t care about grades anymore, not now that he had a much more important way to use Kyungsoo to his advantage. He wished that just _once_ in his life everything didn’t have to be about the Kims.

“Kyungsoo,” His head snapped up, following the husky voice coming from his right. The woman was small, much smaller than him, but she had the hard face of someone who wasn’t familiar with fear. She was clearly used to getting her way. “Who is the person that is already your destined mate?”

Kyungsoo blinked a few times, not quite sure if he heard the question correctly. Normally, it wasn’t considered polite to ask someone about their mate, especially between strangers.

The surprise came more from her lead in, though, not even bothering to warm him up with a few introductory questions. She didn’t waste any time.

“I don’t have one yet,” He lied, trying to keep his face neutral, and above all else control his smell, although at this point that was somewhat of a lost cause, especially with the thoughtful look his mother threw at him as he said this.

“Hmmmm,” The woman considered for a moment, pursing her lips and slowly stirring her soup. Kyungsoo turned his attention to her, following the movements and focusing on keeping his heartbeat steady. “As you well know, you will be living with us at the head alpha’s house.” She continued, pausing to bend down and take a small sip from her spoon. “Which will be a great privilege for someone like you. I’m sure you understand that privacy is very important to us. We wouldn’t like to have any unauthorized people running around, if you catch my meaning.”

He was silent, stunned at the implications of her words. No unauthorized people meant his real mate, the one that would be around but they couldn’t see. If they weren’t allowing that, there was only one way he actually knew of to make that happen. Eliminate them.

Kyungsoo shivered, bile rising to his throat. Even though he knew things like this happened, her whole nonchalant delivery was too much.

“We completely understand. We will take care of it,” His mother agreed smoothly, pinning him with her eyes. He swallowed, but stayed quiet.

“But what if the alpha turns out to be someone of...consequence? Once he is settled in our home I wouldn’t want there to be any complications….” She sniffed, turning now to his mother.

“Oh, I doubt that,” His mother laughed without any real humor, “Not a weak little thing like him. But like I said, we’ll take care of it.”

 _Not a weak little thing like him_ , Kyungsoo repeated the words to himself, hearing for the first time what his mother thought of him. He wasn’t surprised, though. She ended up mated to a strong alpha like his father because she had been so ambitious herself, only having children because it was expected and not out of any real desire to have a family. He wouldn’t expect her to understand him.

“You never know,” The woman murmured to herself, her eyes flicking to her own son for a moment, her tone returning to normal, “And, of course, we’ve already solved the problem on our end, so that will sew things up quite nicely.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help looking up at the boy in front of him at this announcement, his original feeling of dislike instantly turning to pity.

Siwon sat stiffly, seemingly unaware of the conversation around him as he methodically put spoonful after spoonful of food into his mouth. _What would it feel like to be missing a mate_ he wondered, shivering as he remembered the dead look in the boy’s eyes when he had first looked at him. _Was it because of that? Is this going to happen to me, too?_ One question replaced the next and Kyungsoo could feel himself sinking under the weight of each of them. He took in the face in front of him again, resolving himself to the only answer there could be to the last question.

_Not if I can help it._

  
  
  
  
  


Kyungsoo was getting desperate. Days were passing quickly and he _really_ needed to talk to Jongin, but the other was nowhere to be seen.

After the day Jongin had lost control in the cafeteria, he had stopped coming to lunch. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but assume Jongin was trying to avoid him, because he stopped showing up in other places, as well.

In fact, the alpha in any places he wasn’t usually at.

By accident, he had spotted him at one of the tables in the library after school, his head bent over his textbooks while his cousins sat staring at their phones across from him. That had explained why he hadn’t been sitting at Kyungsoo’s desk when he came home like he so frequently had been

Or in last period track, Jongin hadn’t appeared in the locker room once. He showed up outside already dressed, and left directly after.

The weight room in the morning and the shower in the evening remained empty as well. Any place Kyungsoo had ever seen him alone was abandoned. Jongin was hiding.

He felt silly thinking that Jongin was doing all of this because of him, but there didn’t seem to be any other explanation. Either way, Jongin had picked a bad time to disappear, because whether the other liked it or not, right now they had a big problem, and he had no idea what they were going to do.

Kyungsoo had tried coming up with a plan on his own, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of options for a teenager with no actual resources of his own.

He could run away, of course. An omega showing up uninvited in another territory might now be too big a deal, but the fact that his father would be looking for him would make hiding nearly impossible.

Besides that, the moon was also getting fuller, and the change was approaching again and putting a ticking clock on his problems. Kyungsoo knew if he didn’t figure something out before then, everyone was probably going to find out in the worst way possible. There wasn’t any way he could skip another month, Especially with his mother watching.

She hadn’t talked to him directly, but since that night he had found her moving around the house more often, running into her in the kitchen and several times in the hall outside his bedroom. He assumed she trying more to catch him in the act more so than expecting him to confess, so even if Jongin did appeared it probably wasn’t safe speak to him while they were in the house.

All in all, he was running out of time and ideas.

That’s how Kyungsoo found himself staked-out behind a dumpster in the school parking lot, keeping his eyes zeroed in on Jongin’s car.

It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the only one he could think of. After watching Jongin in the library after school for a few days, the only place he knew the other went on a daily basis, he couldn’t see one opening where he could slip through and get to Jongin while he was in that room.

But Kyungsoo _had_ seen that his cousins usually left earlier than he did, and that the parking lot was deserted at that time. It was the perfect set up, or as close as he was going to get.

Even though he had been stationed here several times this week already, he was still nervous at being so close to this parking lot. Like all things at this school, his pack’s lot was segregated from this one, so it almost felt like he was sneaking into another territory. That thought alone made him anxious, prompting him to pull the cord of his hood even tighter around his face. He wasn’t cut out for stuff like this.

Voices moved through the air, getting closer to his little hideout, and Kyungsoo pressed his back firmly against the dumpster waiting for them to pass. He picked up a small fragment of the conversation, a suggestion that they could get a few minutes to themselves before they went back, but he didn’t fully comprehend the meaning until two bodies appeared beside him, their mouths already firmly attached.

Kyungsoo tried to stand as still as possibly, hoping to make himself invisible, but couldn’t stop the small gasp when he saw who it was.

The couple broke apart at the sound, Joonmyeon’s eyes hazy and Minseok’s full of fear as they both zeroed in on the intruder.

Kyungsoo moved first, side-stepping away from their direction, hoping their surprise would be enough to get him out of there before anything drastic happened. But, Joonmyeon was quicker, catching his arm and jerking him back into place. Minseok seemed to wake up at this, quickly moving to his other side to help pin him up against the cold metal.

He tried to catch him breath, bracing himself for what was to come. _This is really bad_ he realized, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Not only was he caught somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be by people who probably hated him, he had also managed to catch them doing something they were obviously trying to hide. He was so dead.

“What the fuck is this?” Joonmyeon spit the words out, towering over the trapped omega.

Kyungsoo cursed, quickly flipping through possible excuses that he could possibly be behind a dumpster in the another packs parking lot after school that didn’t have anything to do with stalking Kim Jongin, but somehow nothing came to mind. Worse, they were betas, so his pheromones wouldn’t work on them. He was stuck.

“Were you trying to spy on us?” The other one asked carefully, his face clouded with confusion. “Did someone tell you to come back here and watch us?”

As the words came together, Kyungsoo caught up to the fact that the pair appeared more worried about what he had just seen more than anything else. He knew he was still going to get his ass kicked, but at least they didn’t seem to suspect his true reasons for being here.

“I...- dropped something back here.” Kyungsoo finally spluttered, saying the first idea that came to his mind. “I was just looking for it.”

“Bullshit,” Minseok growled, exchanging a look with his cousin. Kyungsoo squeezed his eyes shut, knowing what was coming next.

The blow landed as expected, the pain blinding as he gasped, the air pushed out of his lungs from the blow. They let go of his arms and he crumbled to the ground, wheezing.

“I don’t know what you’re doing over here.” Joonmyeon squatted down, weaving his fingers through Kyungsoo’s hair and jerking him back so that they were eye level, “But you didn’t see anything.”

For a moment he thought that was going to be it, that maybe they just wanted to scare him a little bit, but when the the boot tip jammed into his side, pain exploding in its place, he knew it was just beginning.

Kyungsoo instinctively rolled into a ball, trying to cover his head, when he heard the sharp intake of breath. He couldn’t help turning to follow the sound, his pull of mind already telling him the source, when another blow landed low on his back, cutting his vision for a few seconds.

“Help,” He breathed out to the alpha instinctively. “Help me.”

“What’s that?” Joonmyeon squatted down towards the omega, a sick grin spread over his mouth. “You want someone to help you? No one gives a shit about what happens to _you_.

“Where…” The other voice bit out, the urgency of the word cutting through theirs. It occurred to him that in order to see Jongin right now, the other must be outside somewhere, probably nearby.

Even though he had just called out to Jongin, suddenly he was afraid to tell him where they were. If Jongin showed up, he wouldn’t exactly have an excuse for saving Kyungsoo, and he didn’t think he could take it if the other decided to join in instead, so he stayed quiet, staring up at the two figures towering up at him.

“What should we do with him?” Minseok asked, staring down at him.

“Let’s put in him the car,” The taller responded carefully, “We can figure it out then.”

“Joonmyeon, please stop.” Kyungsoo croaked, thrashing around in a last attempt to save himself. He couldn’t get into that car.  “Minseok, no,” He tried again when the smaller moved around to grab his feet.

He didn’t have a chance though, because in less than a second they were interrupted. It was a song, loud and almost familiar, playing from Joonmyeon’s pocket. The cousins stopped, and the taller stepped back, heaving for breath while Minseok looked at him fearfully.

“It’s Jongin, you have to answer it,” The smaller finally said. Joonmyeon waited a beat, and they both watched him expectantly. Finally, he pulled out the small device and pulling it to his face.

“Hey Jong-”

“Where are you?” He heard the low voice beside him bark into the phone, cutting off his cousin’s greeting.

“We’re still in the parking lot, but we’re about to head out. What’s up?” He asked casually, smoothing his hair back off his sweating brow.

“Come back to the library. Now.” Jongin snapped the phone off, not allowing any response, and part of Kyungsoo was a little glad now for how Jongin treated these two. He wasn’t going to feel sorry for them again.

Joonmyeon lowered the phone with a groan. “He wants us to come back. To the library.”

“Why?” Minseok whined, thankfully abandoning his lower half.

“Who fucking knows what that freak wants. But we have to go.” He shrugged with a frown before turning his attention back to Kyungsoo, “Looks like it’s your lucky day, huh little omega? But don’t forget what I said,” He finished, his heel delivering its final blow, a direct hit over the original one, doubling the pain.

“Where?” The voice choked out again after the two disappeared from sight, this time more impatient. Kyungsoo watched the alpha pace frantically, eyes avoiding the broken body at his feet.

“Parking lot, behind the dumpsters. Your pack’s side.” He finally whispered, closing his eyes as the vision disappeared from his side.

He must have fallen asleep, because when he opened them up again Kyungsoo found that he wasn’t on the concrete any longer, or even in the school parking lot.

Instead, he was curled up in the backseat of a car he didn’t quite recognize, which seemed to be moving quite fast. For a minute he panicked, thinking the two betas had come back for him, and were leading him to who knows where.

He groaned loudly, trying to move his sore muscles, pushing himself up into sitting position.

“Stay down,” The gruff voice commanded from the front, and Kyungsoo stopped all movement, frozen by what he was seeing. It wasn’t the two cousins that had picked him up and were not carrying him away, it was Jongin.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has gotten this far in the story. I said it would be a long time before updating but I wasn't expecting THIS long!! Thank you a ton to everyone who left me comments so far! I read so many stories a day and I know it's hard to have something to say to all of them, so if you left one for this story I really appreciate it. Also, thanks to everyone for the upvotes/ kudos/ reading in general. You guys are the best!!
> 
> Also, I keep forgetting to mention, this story is based off of the movie the last jedi. I didn't like the ending so it's my verison. I hope everyone watches it, it's amazing!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided since it was so long that maybe it would be a good idea to split this chapter up and publish it in sections, and that way I would have something to publish sooner since it's finished already and it won't be so long between sections. So here is the first half. I will add the second half in a few weeks.

Getting comfortable on the stiff leather of Jongin’s backseat was impossible.

Kyungsoo shifted, rolling onto his back in an attempt to relieve the building pressure to the bruise on his chest. He moved again almost immediately, the new position aggravating the ache in his lower back instead.

_ It’s no use _ , he decided, giving up and curling on his side. He was just going to have to suffer until they got to where they were going, and wherever that was, he didn’t have a clue. All he could see from this angle was cloudless blue sky hanging flat above every window, giving him no hints at all.

And neither did the person in the front seat, much to his frustration.

Kyungsoo looked over, examining the sliver of Jongin’s profile that peeked out from the headrest. It wasn’t much, but still enough to convince him that what he was seeing was real.

That was the part he was still trying to wrap his head around.

Everything had happened so fast, and he had been too busy getting his ass kicked at the time to really focus too much on everything. Now the details were coming back slowly, but Kyungsoo was having a hard time putting them together.

Mostly the fact that Jongin had _saved_ him.

He vaguely remembered the alpha pacing beside of him, asking him where he was after he had called his cousins away, but he couldn’t make the connection of how he gotten from there to here.

It didn’t make any sense.

_ Did I hit my head? _ Kyungsoo wondered, realizing that it was more likely that he was still unconscious behind the dumpster in the school parking lot than in the very place he had been trying to get for the past week.

But it didn’t take long to rule out that possibility as Jongin whipped them around a curve without slowing down, almost knocking him to the floor and sending searing pain through the entire top half of his body. His dreams weren’t usually this painful.

None of the other possibilities that flitted through his mind seemed likely, either.

The only things he could come up with were that Jongin was taking him away to finish the job himself, kill Kyungsoo and get rid of the problem of their connection once and for all or else it was the opposite, and the two of them were now speeding away together to live a life of secrecy on the run.

It was easy to rule both of those out. The first because Jongin really wanted him dead he could have just left him to the cousins and not gotten involved and the problem would have taken care of itself, and for the second, he knew it was more wishful thinking on his part that anything realistic.

“Where are you taking me?” He finally spoke the words aloud, trying to push out the thoughts that were starting to cycle through again, the unknown putting him on edge.

“Somewhere safe,” The reply was low, the rough voice blending in with the hum of the engine.

Kyungsoo blinked, surprised. He hadn’t actually expected the other to answer and wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t made up the sound.

He wanted to hear it again.

“Have we left the territory?” Kyungsoo pressed, hopefully.  _ Somewhere safe?  _ He turned the words over carefully. _ What does that mean? _

“No.” This time the response came a little louder, no mistaking it from the front seat.

Kyungsoo opened his mouth, another question on the tip of his tongue when the car slowed almost to a stop, turning slowly onto an unpaved road.

Tall pine trees blocked out the sky over the windows, closing in on them in both directions as they creeped down the road. Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around his middle, rolling himself up tighter and tried not to cry out each time the car bounced sharply over the gravel and dipped into holes.

It was a relief when the car finally rolled to a stop and the engine died, blanketing them in silence.

Kyungsoo laid still, unsure what was supposed to happen next, but Jongin had surprised him again, mumbling, “We’re here,” before getting out of the car. He moved directly over to the door at the Kyungsoo’s feet, pulling it open and backing out of the way. Kyungsoo knew it was his cue to get out, excitement flaring at finally getting to see what this was all about.  

It wasn’t easy pulling himself up into sitting position, especially while most of his thoughts were focused on what was going on outside the car, making him clumsier than usual. As soon as he pulled himself out he wanted to jump back in, locking all of the doors behind him. 

 

From the look of things outside it looked as though Jongin had picked option one all along after all.

In the shadows, just a few feet away from the car, sat an old, dilapidated cabin, looking exactly like the one that had starred in every horror movie Kyungsoo had ever seen.

“Are you going to kill me?” Kyungsoo took a step back, the question slipping out as all the things he had heard about Jongin came back, one after the next.

“What?” Jongin stopped too from where he was putting the key into the lock, turning to face him. His features were hard, expressionless as usual, but the sharpness of his tone was enough to show that he heard the question. Heard it and didn’t like it.

“I...that is-” Kyungsoo fumbled, backtracking. The fact that the Jongin was standing right in front of him, not a vision but the real thing, speaking directly to him wasn’t helping his clarity of mind. “I don’t exactly know where we are, or what we’re doing here and- and this place looks perfect for…” He stopped, realizing the words _getting rid of your unwanted mate_ probably weren’t going to go over too well with the way Jongin’s body was tensing up more and more with each word.

_ That’s the problem with Jongin _ , he decided, giving up. There was no way to know what the alpha was thinking, never could figure out what any of his actions meant. When it came to Jongin he was always in the dark.

“I just don’t understand what’s going on,” Kyungsoo finally confessed, defeated. “Why did you bring me here?”

Jongin studied him for a moment, his eyes tracing the omega’s face before moving down and settling on where his top half was leaning slightly forward, trying to take the weight off the injury, his hands pressed firmly into side for support. His gaze lingered, something unreadable flickering in his expression for the slightest moment. Without another word he turned around and pushed the door open, disappearing inside.

Kyungsoo realized that was all the answer he was going to get.

  
  
  


Inside was a little better than out.

Kyungsoo had breathed a sigh of relief crossing into the small room. By the way the outside was falling apart he had expected rotted floors or maybe some walls caved in, or at least some spiderwebs, but there wasn’t any of those things.

To his surprise, it was exactly the type of place his own pack used for hunting trips, even though that was obviously not what this was for. This looked more like a living room, but not a modern one. A relic of years past.

In the middle of the room sat a sofa, which Jongin had already dropped himself in without preamble. It was old but comfortable looking, the brown fabric smoothed and peeling from years of use.

Across from them sat a television, the old kind with the glass screen he hadn’t seen since he was a kid, on top of an open wooden cabinet filled with DVD’s. From what he could see it was mostly filled with older stuff, nothing recent.

Jongin fumbled around on the sofa for a few seconds, his hand sliding between the two cushions to pull out a remote. He aimed it at the television and the screen came to life.

After a few seconds Kyungsoo recognized the movie that was starting as one of his favorites from when he was younger. One of those where the kid gets lost in the woods, fending for themselves and having a grand adventure until they finally get rescued. It had been a childhood fantasy of his, and he felt a slight stirring at nostalgia as the opening scene started, although the volume was too low to pick up any of the sounds.

He stood awkwardly, watching the screen for a few moments, not quite sure what to do with himself. The only place to sit in the room other than the couch was a small bed that had been pushed up against the corner, and he wasn’t going anywhere near  _ that _ .

Still, he hesitated. The sofa was small, with only two cushions, and he wasn’t sure how Jongin would react if he sat directly next to him, closer than they had ever been before with exception of the time in the locker room.

Close enough to reach over and touch.

Given his sometimes loss of control around the younger, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how he would react either, either.

It was the burning pain gnawing his lower half that finally made the decision for him. He had stood long enough for it to build, making it impossible to straighten his spine and stand comfortably, and bending was even worse. He moved over slowly, dragging his feet little to give Jongin time to figure out what was happening and move if he was uncomfortable. Kyungsoo decided he was going to sit, either way.

Jongin didn’t stir, however, while he lowered himself down onto the seat. He held his breath, risking a glance over at the slouching figure for his reaction. It didn’t seem to matter, though. Jongin sat oblivious, his dark eyes unfocused, pinned to the screen but drooping slightly from exhaustion.

_ How can he sleep at a time like this? _ Kyungsoo felt wired, the anxiety simmering under his skin putting him on edge. He looked away, taking a deep breath to relax even though he knew that was impossible given the situation.

Just by the whole set-up alone, it almost looked like Jongin had brought him here just to hang out, like a friend would. It was an identical scene to his nights spent at Sehun’s house, the two of them stretched out on the sofa in front of a movie, one of them almost always falling asleep unless the movie was a particularly interesting one.

Kyungsoo choked out a laugh at the absurdity of the idea, and immediately regretted the action as his body groaned in protest. He pulled up his shirt, deciding to inspect how bad the damage was and winced slightly as his lower half came into full view.

It looked almost as bad as it felt. The center of his chest was swollen into a thick knot, already colored in deep purples and yellows. Broken blood vessels formed a web across the area, making it look even worse. Around his stomach and sides patches of red bloomed, the spots slightly raised and sensitive when he ran the pad of his finger over them.

He could feel a different type of pricking in his skin and looked up to see Jongin’s gaze fixed on the spot, his brow dipped in concentration.

“It’s not that bad,” Kyungsoo offered after a few seconds when Jongin still hadn’t looked away, pushing the fabric back down. He wasn’t exactly sure why he said it, it was obviously not true, but something about Jongin’s stare was making him self-conscious. He tried sitting up straighter, ignoring the pulse of pain following the movement.

“I’m fine.” He tried again, his nerves making it impossible to shut his mouth. “Your cousin just has good aim, that’s all, and got the same spot twice…”

This time Jongin did look up, his expression twisting first into anger, but changing after a beat, settling into one of guilt.

Kyungsoo paused at this. He had never been able to read Jongin this well before, but even though he was sure about what he was seeing, sure of the bitter scent that followed, it didn’t make sense. This wasn’t  _ Jongin’s _ fault.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered, sitting on his hands to resist the urge to comfort the alpha.

It took a little time before words registered, but at last they seemed to have an effect. Jongin’s features morphed into determination, and when he finally looked up again, his tongue brushing his lower lip nervously, Kyungsoo could tell that it was finally going to happen. Jongin was going to talk. “I…”

The sound rang out sharply in the quiet room, the lyrics  _ I’m bringing sexy back _ spilling from his pocket, drowning out Jongin’s voice. Sehun had set the song as his personal ringtone last year as a joke and Kyungsoo hadn’t bothered to change it back.

He regretted that now, pulling out the device and swiping the button to end the call. He debated for a moment, and then sent a quick text that he would call him back later. Sehun had a tendency to blow up his phone if he wanted something, and he already did enough for today.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jongin looking on as he did so, watching his fingers move over the keypad before turning back to the television in front of him, his mouth set as a straight line. It was obvious the moment was over, and the damage had been done.

He couldn’t believe he had been both saved and ruined by a cell phone all in one day.

Kyungsoo made a mental note to kill his best friend later. Or at least change his ringtone.

It was hard, sitting still on the couch while Jongin slept.

The movie ended and the light from the windows started to fade, but Kyungsoo had been too afraid of what was going to happen next after Jongin woke up to move.

He knew he was going to have to tell the younger everything. The reason he had been hiding in the parking lot in the first place. He hadn’t thought of it earlier when he probably should have, but everything happened so quickly, he had much bigger things to worry about. But now, he could feel the pressure of the future returning, its familiar weight settling over him.

But still he didn’t move.

It was paralyzing, the more he thought about how it was Kim Jongin he was sitting next to, who he was going to have to explain all of this to.

Jongin, who he hated for so long while he tried to compete against him and always came up short.

Jongin, who had cornered him in the locker room, looking to beat up Kyungsoo himself. And would have, if Sehun hadn’t have been there to save him. And who may even be the kind of person who did worse, if the rumors were true.

Then, Jongin, his mate, who had stared at him that night he hadn’t been able to himself after seeing the alpha naked. Stared at him as though he wanted to touch Kyungsoo himself.

And now, finally, Jongin who had rescued him.

He didn’t know which Jongin was the real one, or if they all were, in some way. How would he react?

He looked over at the slumbering alpha, his gaze roaming over the other freely for the first time.

In sleep, Jongin looked younger, all the sharp edges smoothed out. He could see new details, small things he had never noticed before, now that he was so close. A cluster of small scars scattered across the top of his cheeks. The shadow forming above his lip where the hair was already growing back from where he had shaved that morning.

His eyes traveled lower to those lips, almost as plush as his own but the shape completely different. He wondered what they would look like, stretched out into a smile. Or what they would feel like, pressed against his own.

Kyungsoo’s stomach did a flip when he looked up to see Jongin had woken up during his examination, the dark eyes staring into his own. They were clouded, obviously still in a dream from a moment before, not quite caught up to reality. In the next instant they flitted shut, and Kyungsoo didn’t have to wonder what Jongin’s lips felt like any longer.

He wondered what kind of dream the other had been having, was still in, when Jongin moved his mouth across his. The way the younger nipped his lower lip with his teeth before coaxing his mouth open wasn’t the hesitant, testing kind of a first kiss that Kyungsoo had expected. Jongin kissed him without thought, his tongue meeting Kyungsoo’s easily, as though it was all familiar and they had done this a thousand times before and would do it that many more.

_ Is it a dream about me? _ Kyungsoo hoped, trying to keep up while his thoughts wondered who Jongin was thinking of, whose mouth he was this comfortable with. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to know the answer.

It wasn’t long before he realized it probably wasn’t his as Jongin’s rough hands gripped his shoulders, pushing him back against the couch. Before he could blink Jongin had made his way across the room, putting as much distance between them as the small space allowed.

He looked awake now.

The tension practically poured from the alpha as he started to pace, the room crackling with his energy. “What do you think you’re doing?” Jongin’s voice was sharp, accusing as he wrapped his arms around himself defensively, “This isn’t happening. This isn’t going to happen so just stop and leave me alone.”

Kyungsoo reeled back, anger welling up. He could still feel the warmth of Jongin on his lips, still taste him, and all of it just made him madder. He wasn’t going to let the other get away with blaming this on him. It was time for Jongin to get his shit together.

“Do you think I’m doing this? That I wanted this?” He spit back, rising to his feet, the adrenalin kicking in to override the pain, “Don’t pretend like this is only bad for you. What do you think is going to happen if anyone finds out about this? Who do you think, out of the two of us, has the better chance of coming out of it? So don’t act like I’m the one trying to make this happen. I’m just the one not acting like a dick.”

Once the words started, he couldn’t stop. Jongin froze, probably as much in shock as Kyungsoo was by his outburst, but he also wasn’t finished, either. He had to get this out now, while Jongin was stuck and couldn’t run away or disappear or anything else he did to get out of facing the truth. Today, he was going to listen.

“I don’t know why this happened to us.” He continued, his breath heaving, “Or how. Believe me, I didn’t have anything to do with it, but it has.” There was that look again, the face of guilt that Kyungsoo couldn’t quite understand, but was too far gone to care.  “I know you want to pretend like it isn’t happening, but that’s not going to make it go away. But that doesn’t matter anymore. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, because we have a bigger problem. I’m going to be mated to someone else, someone from another pack. My father set it up to ruin your family or whatever goes on with those things. I have to go as soon as we graduate, and… and I can’t take any other mate with me. If you know what I mean.”

He hadn’t meant to just blurt it out like that, so straight and basic, but Jongin had gotten him so riled up that he had forgotten everything he had planned to say. He could feel the anger drain out of him now that the words were finally out and sank back onto the couch, waiting for the other’s reaction. Jongin didn’t move, didn’t acknowledge that he heard anything at all.  _ It was like talking to a wall _ , Kyungsoo decided with a sigh.  _ Or maybe he doesn't get it. _

“What I mean,” He tried again, talking a little slower, deciding to spell it out, “Is that they want to kill my mate. They don’t want a stranger to see inside their precious house. Do you see the problem here? I can’t tell them who my mate is, but I can’t not tell them either. What are we going to do?”

“We can’t tell anyone,” The response came quick, his tone urgent. Jongin took a small step forward, seeming to have another train of thought, “Have you told them already? Have you told anyone?” There was an edge on the last word, and Kyungsoo had a feeling he knew who the anyone Jongin was asking about. 

Kyungsoo shook his head. “If they knew do you think I would still be alive?” He said bitterly, annoyed that was the only thing Jongin seemed truly worried about. That someone  _ knew _ .  “Actually, I think my mom knows I have a mate. Not you,” He added quickly, “But that I have one. She hasn’t said anything yet, but she will eventually.”

He chewed on his thumbnail, watching Jongin resume pacing. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Jongin, like him, had no idea what they were going to do. Somehow, in his panic over the past week, he had assumed the alpha part of Jongin, and maybe even the mate part, would kick in and he would want to save Kyungsoo, want to save them both. He had dared to hope that Jongin would know what to do. But watching the frazzled alpha cover the same three feet of flooring over and over made him realize what an idiot he had been. Again.

“What about running away?” He ventured out, trying out one of the ideas he had been turning over in his mind over the week, “I heard about some territories made out of mixed packs. What about something like that?”

“I doubt there would be one where my father wouldn’t find me. Hiding in another pack would be useless,” Jongin shot the idea down, not slowing.

_ I was only talking about myself _ ,  _ not us _ . Kyungsoo held back the words, a smile threatening to form on his lips. Maybe Jongin wasn’t as indifferent as he thought.

“What about lying. Say my mate is dead or something?” He tried out the next idea, feeling somewhat lighter. 

“That’s stupid,” the younger automatically disagreed, shaking his head, “like they haven’t heard that before.”

“It’s not like you have any better ideas,” Kyungsoo accused, his annoyance flaring again. “What should I do, name a random person who I don’t know and watch them get killed? You probably wouldn’t care, right?”

Kyungsoo regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He wished Jongin didn’t push his buttons so easily, have so much affect over his emotions.  _ Is this what it’s like for all mates? _ He wondered, guilt pooling in his gut watching Jongin turn away.

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo murmured, hoping that he hadn’t ruined everything with his outburst. “I’m just stressed, and I got carried away. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything.”

Kyungsoo held his breath while he watched Jongin’s hands unclench, his stance soften while the words worked through him. When Jongin finally turned back, resuming his path a little slower, Kyungsoo reminded himself to be careful in the future. Right now, what he had with Jongin was fragile, and he was beginning to think the alpha himself might be as well.

“What about…what about me coming over to your pack? Like, as your mate?” He started hesitantly but finished in a rush. It was only one idea that he had come up with over the past week that he had left, but he was a little nervous to voice it, but after what Jongin had said earlier he was feeling a bit more confident.

“No, absolutely not!” Jongin looked at him in horror, voice raising in panic.

Kyungsoo frowned, not knowing if it was because Jongin didn’t want him or because his feelings were still hurt. “Why not?” He asked, hoping he didn’t sound petulant. Or desperate. “I mean, it would be great for your pack. Your dad could rub in that he had a Do mated to his son, and it would stop whatever my dad was doing to hurt you guys. A total win-win.”

He kept his face carefully blank while waiting for Jongin’s reaction, folding his fingers in his lap to keep them still. Jongin stopped again, and Kyungsoo could practically see the gears turing, trying to figure out how to break it to the older that the answer was no. That it would always be no.

It surprised him when instead Jongin moved back over to the couch, perching on the edge of the cushion beside him.

“We can’t, Kyungsoo,” He felt his chest tighten at the words, at hearing his name come out of Jongin’s lips for the first time like this. “I told you already. No one can know. It was stupid of me to do what I did today, putting us in danger like this. Putting you in danger…but you don’t get it…”

Kyungsoo sat still, watching Jongin try to think of the right words to blow him off.  _ It wasn’t like they had other options _ , he wanted to remind the other, but stayed silent. He had already said enough.

“In your pack, your dad hurts you, right?” Jongin asked quietly. Kyungsoo snapped his head up, giving the younger a confused look. This was  _ not _ where he expected the conversation to go. “I’ve seen you... sometimes. It’s typical in an alpha’s house, right? Nobody would be surprised. It’s just how things are.”

Jongin paused, taking a breath, and Kyungsoo could only nod. Jongin had just admitted to watching him, to  _ knowing _ . He past the point of guessing what the other might say next.

“Well, my pack is different…”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Kyungsoo insisted, unable to resist the opening, trying to delay the final rejection, “That’s why I should come over.”

“My pack is different,” Jongin continued, as though Kyungsoo hadn’t interrupted him, the words coming out flat, almost mechanically “In my pack the alpha doesn’t hurt you. Not like that. In my pack, he makes you hurt yourself.”

  
  
  
  


 

 

“What are you doing here?” The tray dropped heavily to the table beside Kyungsoo, landing with a loud crack. “Or are you here to tell me about your new, better best friend that you’ve blown me off all week for.”

Sehun slumped into the chair beside him, not looking in his direction.

“How can I upgrade when I already have premium?” Kyungsoo teased, resisting the urge to smile. His best friend was adorable when he pouted. 

“If that were true, someone would have called me back when they said they would,” Sehun bit back, picking up the spoon beside his plate and spearing it into his bowl of rice. “Or at least told me they were going to hide out last week. What the hell Kyungsoo? Where have you been?”

Kyungsoo sat silent, not quite sure how to answer. He hadn’t been thinking clearly since that fateful dinner. Since then, all of his energy focused on finding Jongin and telling him the news. He had forgotten a few things on the side. 

“I’m sorry.” He tried, hoping an apology might make up for an explanation. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around Sehun’s broad shoulders, ignoring the protest of his still sore upper body as he twisted around. “I’ll be better. I promise.”

Sehun didn’t say anything, but reached around to pat Kyungsoo’s back, his hand rubbing directly over the spot the foot had landed on the day before.

Kyungsoo gasped, instinctively moving away from the touch.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Sehun’s pretense of anger was dropped as his eyes searched over Kyungsoo’s body in concern. “Are you hurt?”

Kyungsoo leaned back in his chair, not sure how to respond. He hadn’t expected to get caught this easily, or to have this many secrets going from his best friend at one time. This was getting out of hand.

He opened his mouth to reassure the other, and closed it back again, realizing that he was going to have to choose his words a bit more carefully than normal. 

Kyungsoo wasn’t the only person back in the lunchroom after a week of absence, and he wasn’t completely sure that Jongin wasn’t listening to their conversation again. The thought made him press his lips together tighter.

“Did something happen at home?” Sehun persisted, drawing his own conclusions from the silence. “Is that what has been going on all week?”

_ I’m going to hell for this _ , Kyungsoo thought guiltily, nodding slowly to the assumption. 

“We’re going to be graduating soon,” Sehun said after a pause, “And then everything will be different. You don’t have to be there much longer.”

He could tell his friend was trying to cheer him up, but it was having the opposite effect. After the lack of progress made with Jongin the day before, he felt more at a loss than ever. When they left the cabin at dusk nothing was settled. They had no plan whatsoever. 

In fact, Kyungsoo felt as though he had gone in reverse. Jongin’s cryptic words had left another mystery for him to solve, another unknown heaped into the pile.  _ He makes you hurt yourself. _ What in the hell did that even mean? He hadn’t been able to get anything else out of the alpha after his strange confession, leaving everything up in the air and Kyungsoo with more questions than answers.

“What about you?” Kyungsoo asked, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and trying to change the subject. “How long is it going to take to get Luhan over once we’re out? I know you can’t wait.”

For Sehun everything was different because of his family and status. He knew what he was going to do, everything was planned out for him already. The only unknown was when. How long until he could have all that was coming to him. 

“Ah, that’s what I was calling you about last night. I almost forgot.” Sehun pulled himself up in the chair, looking excited. “Actually, I’ve been trying to tell you about this all week but you’ve been MIA. Honestly, though, I can’t tell much of the details here,” He lowered his voice, glancing over to the other side of the lunchroom. 

Kyungsoo nodded, taking the hint.  “You can’t leave me hanging like that though. You gotta tell me something.” He prodded, leaning forward on his elbows. 

“Well, it’s not a big deal, really. There is some kind of deal going on, something with another territory,” Sehun explained, waving this detail aside as unimportant, but Kyungsoo became alert, his stomach dropping. He had a bad feeling about where this was going. “Anyway, because of this we are building a few more warehouses, and Dad is going to give me one right when I graduate, with my own place and everything. Luhan is going to come right away. Like as soon as we graduate. That’s the part I wanted to tell you. I can’t believe it! I thought I was going to have to wait years.” he finished, voice trembling in excitement. This was a big deal. 

Kyungsoo tried to pull his mouth into a smile, putting his hand on Sehun’s arm and giving it a squeeze. What he really wanted to do was throw up all over the table, because he knew exactly why Sehun was getting this gift, the thing he most wanted, dropped in his lap. 

And he was probably going to be the one to take it away.

The Oh family built their fortune in manufacturing. They made pretty much everything, and it was well known that Sehun would take this over one day. And with Kyungsoo’s upcoming mating with Siwan opening up exports in the South, of course the Oh’s would be the ones who benefited. 

It was hard to think about what would happen to Sehun when the deal didn’t go through.  _ It’s not that bad _ , he reminded himself. His friend was going to get everything eventually, anyway. He would just have to wait longer.

Kyungsoo glanced over at Sehun, who was staring out into the sea of students with a dopey smile lit up on his face. It wasn’t fair, having someone else mixed up in his horrible fate, especially not someone he cared about so much. Sehun had always been there for him, always leveled-headed and patient, even for an alpha.

In fact, Kyungsoo realized, looking at his friend closer, Sehun was someone who always was able to figure things out. He was the one out of the two with the good advice, always willing to think things through and figure out the best option. Someone who  never panicked. Even with the change was close he never lost himself to his anger or frustrations like other alpha’s. He was always the same Sehun.

Someone, maybe, who would listen to Kyungsoo’s story and know what to do. 

It was obvious he didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it before. He had to tell Sehun. Even if his friend hated Jongin, he would still help Kyungsoo. That’s how he was. And if anyone could solve this problem, it was him.

“Hey Sehun, what are you doing after school today? Do you want to maybe go get something to eat at the diner downtown?” Kyungsoo murmured, leaning over towards his friend. Now that he had come to his decision, he didn’t want to waste anymore time.

“Sure, but why are we whispering?” Sehun grinned, pulling his tray back with a grin. 

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, mind already racing ahead to their next meeting. He hoped this worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY. I know it's been forever. To be honest I am not happy with this chapter at all but gave up trying to fix it and just decided I live with it instead of rewriting for the rest of our lives. Also, my dad passed away so I have been sort of dealing with all of that but I will have the next section soon and hopefully will just publish shorter chapters so we can do this faster. Thanks to everyone who is still reading this story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I have some real life stuff that happened and have to give up everything for a while. I will put this account in orphan status and also deleted my other accounts. I didn't want to leave everyone hanging forever but I'm not going to finish so here is my outline on what was supposed to happen in this story. Thanks to everyone who read this!




 

Restaurant

  1. They meet and sit down and before Kyungsoo can start Luhan shows up unexpectedly and Sehun gets excited, talking to him.
  2. Then Hanya shows up. Sehun didn’t know it was going to be a confession and just thought his friend needed cheering up so invited her. 
  3. Then Jongin shows up. Kyungsoo is really confused about this, but suspects it’s on purpose. Makes Jongin follow him to the bathroom.
  4. Finds out in bathroom that Jongin heard his conversation and was afraid he was going to talk so wanted to make sure he didn’t. Kyungsoo is frustrated and says he can trust Sehun.This is where Jongin threatens that if anyone finds out he will be have to kill him. Says it in a way that suggests that he will be coerced.
  5. Goes back out pissed and Sehun is talking to Luhan so he starts talking to Hanya.
  6. At some point in the conversation she references his mate and he denies having one and she says she thought Sehun said he did but he denies it. 
  7. She tells him gossip about his school that he doesn’t know. She has made it into the popular group and they hang out with the Kim (aka the other) pack. He didn’t know they packs mixed at all but apparently the kids aren’t into the fight like the adults are, and hang out at the quarry or some shit.
  8. She makes him promise not to tell because she heard about his father from  everyone by now and he does. She says she heard the other alpha is even worse than his though.
  9. Tells him gossip about the Kim’s alpha. Says she heard he is terrible and that he killed his own wife (Jongin and his sister’s mom) in order to get a better mate. It was an arranged marriage anyway and he upgraded because the first one was too headstrong or something. 
  10. Kyungsoo doesn’t believe it
  11. She tells him after that she heard Jongin is bad too, and starts to tell him gossip but he stops her. He doesn’t want  to know anything else about Jongin and his family. 



  
  


Kyungsoo’s bedroom

  1. Slight montage about how Kyungsoo has been distracted and Jongin has been everywhere which is opposite of how he likes it. He is stressing about the change that is going to be next week and he still doesn’t know how he going to react but he reacts to Jongin everytime he sees him.
  2. He goes to his room and JOngin is there reading the same book from the kitchenfor their book report
  3. Kyungsoo had actually picked the same book because he wanted to read it and see what it was about since Jongin had picked it and wanted to know about Jongin
  4. They read together at the desk in silence and Kyungsoo gets annoyed at the story.
  5. *** need to clarify story they read - it’s supposed to reflect what is happening with them- but basically two people who are supposed to marry someone else (like a rich and poor alpha) slip off to see each other during low tide where they can get into a cave and spend time together. They both have to deal with family stuff etc
  6. Kyungsoo gets annoyed and feels like it’s obvious and wonders why Jongin likes it so much. 
  7. Starts writing on his pad to Jongin because afraid to talk to him. Asks him questions about the story, mostly things that reflect their situation. Like why don’t they just run away. Why does he do everything his dad tells him. Etc.
  8. Jongin answers some? I want him to expose himself a little as weak here and self aware that he is a pawn but also feels hopeless like he doesn’t have a choice. Like takes up for the person who is bad and doesn’t have a choice and Ksoo is like everyone has choices and Jongin disagrees !!!



  
  


Kyungsoo’s bedroom part 2

  1. After a slight Jongin reveal there is a knock at the door. Kyungsoo turns around to look at the door, panicked, and when he looks back Jongin is gone
  2. He answers the door, his mom comes in. She wants to have a talk.
  3. She tells him he is going to leave for busan the next day to stay with his mates family until the change is over. 
  4. She warns him that this is siwan’s moms idea and to do a good job. She is kind of threatening
  5. Things are kind of awkward and she is about to leave but turns around and tells him she knows he is lying about having a mate. Tells him she will give him until he graduates, but this is happening and he has to take care of it or they will. She says she knows it’s hard (not sincerely) but it’s the best for him and he will appreciate it later. But it’s happening either way and she will give him time to take care of it.
  6. When she leaves he sees the notebook is still open on the table



 

Busan

  1. Gets shown around by Siwon and his mother. She is super nitpicky.
  2. Has to share a room with Siwon
  3. Not sure how but need them to have slight conversation about how his mom is, but Siwon isn’t interested in talking to him or helping him figure anything out. He is sort of over everything and is just going along with it.
  4. Kyungsoo gets aggravated with him and tells  him he should do more to stick up for himself, but Siwon is just like this is how things are and doesn’t care.
  5. Trying to push the theme that everyone doesn’t have a choice and neither does he and accepting things is the easier path with this theme during this scene



Busan pII--- Really need to work out this scene

  1. I wanted Jongin to show up while they are sharing a room and get jealous but I’m not sure how to work that in.
  2. The change happens. During this time Kyungsoo sees Jongin and follows him. He is covered in stuff, looks like he just attacked something. 
  3. They stay together (as wolves) until the morning. When the shift Kyungsoo finally gets Jongin to talk. Find out some of Jongin’s story
  4. Which is basically his father controls his life. 
  5. The reason he got so upset with Ksoo in the locker room was because whenever K did better than him he would punish Jongin by making him hurt someone- the reason being that if he isn’t smart he has to be strong etc. Lots of weird logic. Kyungsoo saw him that night when they found out they were mated after the thing Jongin did the thing that was his punishment
  6. The book in the kitchen belonged to Jongin’s mother, who was killed by the dad and anyway the sister took the book to remember her by. I haven’t figured out how but Jongin pissed off the dad by taking up for the sister and that is why he made Jongin take her favorite possession.
  7. The cousins hate Jongin because when they were kids the dad didn’t want Jongin to rely on Betas for protection and had them all ‘spar’ with each other. Jongin would always win. He liked to hit Joonmyeon in the same place multiple times to make sure it hurt worse and also scare him when he was fighting because he knew it was coming. This is why Jongin feels guilty when Joonmyeon did it to Kyungsoo.
  8. This isn’t when we find out why they are mates though. 
  9. Kyungsoo wants to figure out what to do. Jongin kind of freaks out and is like isn’t it obvious I’m going to have to kill you and I don’t want to. Kyungsoo wants him to fight against his father and Jongin says he can’t and he is too weak. They lose connection.



Not sure how to end Busan scene

Didn’t plan the rest out exactly but the idea is this

The reason they are mated is because at first Jongin hated Kyungsoo because he was put against him and Jngin started listening to them at lunch (strategy) and started getting interested in him. He figured out they were in the same situation. He started liking Kyungsoo and also hating him, but mostly liking him, and always had these fantasies about him and Kyungsoo running away together from their families (that weren’t realistic) to help him deal with everything and Kyungsoo was going to sort of save him. And then after he killed that person (as punishment- day of locker room) he was in his room all upset at Kyungsoo but also all upset at his dad and he was wishing they were both out of that together and then Kyungsoo came into his room (same scene when Kyungsoo goes into his room and finds Jongin on his bed) and thought that Kyungsoo had really come to save him. Wrong bro.

Anway after the first breakdown in busan they start getting closer and intimate and of course Jongin’s dad notices and catches him. Jongin starts acting weird for a while (cause his dad told him he knows and wants to use him to finish off the other family). 

In the end Jongin’s dad tells the family in Busan that Kyungsoo is going to marry about the connection and they realize how Kyungsoo can’t join their family and take a deal with Jongin’s family instead. 

This is where the last scene of the last jedi comes in. Kyungsoo’s family (including sehun because he is supposed to inherit this area) go down to see what they are going to build. It’s a trap by Jongin’s dad. Jongin’s dad also gets Jongin to trick Kyungsoo into coming with him to Jongin’s house. This is where the dad tells Kyungsoo all about how he isn’t good enough for his son etc. I want it to be like the last jedi with the TV screens showing the demise of his family but that seems forced. Anyways it’s a trap and his family / Sehun and his family / a bunch of the pack is getting hurt/ killed. Jongin’s dad tells Jongin to kill Kyungsoo and he will get him a better mate. Jongin kills his dad instead. Kyungsoo wants him to stop what is happening to his family etc after that is over and Jongin doesn’t. He tells Kyungsoo that it’s for the best and this is the best way to end the pack war and he is going to be alpha etc. Kyungsoo thought they were going to not do all of this that the people before them did and they hated but it looks like Jongin is going through with it. He says with the main part of Kyungsoo’s family out of the way everything should run smooth because the rest of the packs don’t care (which you know from Hanya conversation in diner). He wants you to join him and be his mate and that will keep everyone together and keep peace. Kyungsoo is upset his family/ best friend/ pack is dead and deliberates. Jongin reaches out his hand and says please. Kyungsoo takes it.

The end

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this was going to be for the EXZOO fest, but it's too big and I am too slow. Thanks to Eddi and Purse for reading this and helping me, you guys are awesome. Thanks a million to the amazing Inari for fixing everything and nagging me about how much I use the same word all the time and for being the best. I'm totally gonna be a little slow on this one, but I'm going for long chapters so that's a plus, right?


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